


Downfall

by WillowFlickerman



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2014-11-03
Packaged: 2018-01-24 13:42:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 38
Words: 32,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1607177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillowFlickerman/pseuds/WillowFlickerman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From Hogwarts School to the wild grasslands of Hogsmeade to the grandeur of a manor deep in the heart of Wiltshire, Lucius Malfoy and Morgana D'Angelo danced their way into each other's hearts, neither of them realising that one day the Dark Lord would return to shatter the love they had found. <br/>Their downfall? <br/>Each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Stranger

She knew Professor Dumbledore wouldn't approve of her being out so late on her own, especially so close to the Forbidden Forest, but Morgana D'Angelo was, as always, curious. She had heard some of her peers discussing hippogriff sightings in the area, and had wanted to see if the rumours were true. She had hoped to find Rubeus Hagrid, the school gamekeeper and keeper of keys, wandering about the grounds, but so far she had had no luck in locating either a hippogriff or Hagrid.

Morgana reluctantly began heading back towards the castle, still searching the darkening skies for any sign of a hippogriff. She would have given almost anything for a chance to see one, even from a distance. She thought they were the most majestic creatures in the entire world.

Morgana had just passed the Quidditch pitch when she saw a strange figure striding directly towards her. The young witch firmly gripped the handle of the mahogany wand that was concealed in a pocket within the folds of her burgundy red cloak. She was confident enough in her abilities to take on most wizards and witches if the need arose.

As he reached Morgana, the man's topaz-blue gaze settled on her suspicious face. She looked up at him curiously but levelly, saying nothing. He was much taller than her, and he stared haughtily down his aquiline nose at her. He had the pale skin, the disdainful expression, and the aristocratic bearing of centuries of breeding. He held a long black cane in a gloved hand, the silver hilt of which gleamed against the darkness of his attire, and luxurious platinum blond hair fell straight down his back, a startling contrast to his black cloak.

He was absolutely beautiful.

The man silently took in the girl's thickly lashed dark eyes, the loose black curls that tumbled wildly over her shoulders, and he felt a sudden calmness settle over him as he reached her, inclining his proud head ever so slightly as he did so.

He held her open stare as he passed by, and Morgana spun round to watch him go. Within moments he was lost to the blackness of dusk, but he did turn that handsome head, just once, to glance back and smile.


	2. Saturday Morning Lie-In

Morgana woke late the next morning, to the sound of two of her three roommates discussing the May Day Dance, which was taking place the following weekend.

"Good morning, sleepy head." Liliana Krum smiled as she noticed Morgana stirring under the covers, and Tilly Maguire followed her friend's eyeline.

"You came in late last night," Tilly commented in her soft Scottish burr.

"I was out searching for hippogriffs," Morgana mumbled sleepily.

"And?" Liliana demanded. "Did you see one?"

Morgana slithered herself upwards so she was leaning back against the pillows.

"Not even a hoofprint," she snorted in disgust.

"Oh." Liliana looked disappointed momentarily. "Better luck next time then."

Morgana was aware that, most of the time, her friends simply humoured her inquisitive nature, but she also knew they admired her determination and her dedication to discovering the truth. If a rumour about hippogriff sightings was going around, Liliana and Tilly knew Morgana wouldn't stop searching until she'd either proved or disproved it.

"I did meet someone, though," Morgana continued slowly, after a moment's hesitation. "A man".

Liliana and Tilly's attention turned quickly back to her. A man? It clearly wasn't anybody they knew, or Morgana wouldn't have bothered mentioning him.

"What did he look like?"

"What did he say?"

The two girls spoke at the same time, making Morgana grin briefly.

"He didn't say anything," she said, answering Tilly's much easier query first. Then she paused again, as though she were considering Liliana's question carefully. "As for what he looked like...I recognised him from somewhere, yet I know I've never seen him before...He was tall, well-dressed, looked like a gentleman, I guess you could say...Carrying a cane."

Morgana looked away, pretending to search her mind for details, but in reality, she needed no prompts - she still knew precisely what the man looked like, his haughty face was the last thing her memory had shown her before she'd dropped off to sleep the previous evening.

"His eyes looked like they should have been cold, but they weren't...And..." Morgana paused again, not meeting their gaze.

The other girls looked at her curiously. There was something in Morgana's tone that they'd never heard before, and they glanced at one another as she continued.

"He had long blond hair," she finished, her words coming out rather quicker than she had intended them to.

There was an awkward silence for a second before Liliana whispered behind her hand in mock secrecy: "She didn't notice much about him, did she?" causing Tilly to giggle, and Morgana to cast her friend a quelling look.

"Lucius Malfoy." A sultry voice carried across the room. None of the girls had noticed Jacq Mulholland come back into the room, and they all stared at her questioningly.

"Lucius Malfoy," she repeated. "He's Draco's father...You know, that slippery little blond creature in Slytherin?"

Morgana, Liliana and Tilly nodded in unison, and Morgana immediately saw the similarities between father and son.

"He's very clever, shrewd, fabulously wealthy, but not, by all accounts, a very pleasant man. Works at the Ministry of Magic, even though he doesn't need to, and -" Jacq lowered her voice, and looked around the room as though to check nobody else was listening. "They say he's a Death Eater, and a member of You-Know-Who's inner circle."

Liliana and Tilly gasped, but Morgana somehow wasn't totally surprised. She sat staring contemplatingly at the royal-blue curtains at the foot of her bed, and said, almost to herself, "He really was quite beautiful."

Jacq looked seriously at her best friend. "Be careful, Morgana. Lucius Malfoy isn't someone you want to be getting mixed up with."

Morgana gazed back at Jacq for a long moment, and then she laughed lightly. "It doesn't matter anyway...He's likely already forgotten that we met, and it's not like we're ever going to meet again, is it?"


	3. Preparation

Even though she'd managed to enlist an excited Hagrid's help, and had spent most of her spare time that week searching for hippogriffs, neither Morgana or the gamekeeper had seen anything that told them that there were hippogriffs living near Hogwarts. Hagrid had kept a weathered eye on the skies, and a knowledgeable one on the ground as he'd gone about his daily duties, and Morgana had taken over during her free periods, exploring the very furthest perimeters of the school grounds, to no avail. It was difficult to tell which of them was more disappointed.

Morgana had also spent a few dreary afternoons in the library. Jacq's warnings had piqued her interest in Lucius Malfoy, and she was determined to discover if her friend's information had been correct. Generally, it was. The Malfoys were, as Jacq had said, fabulously wealthy. One of the richest wizarding families in Britain, they had come to England in 1066 alongside William the Conqueror, providing him with (presumably) magical help at the battle that had won him his crown, and they had been rewarded well for it. Their home still stood on the estate the Conqueror had awarded them, hundreds of acres deep in the heart of Wiltshire, and their name had been connected to royalty and the social elite ever since. It had even been said that the first Lucius Malfoy had been a suitor of Elizabeth I, and that her rejection of his hand had been why she had died without a husband or an heir.

It was true, too, that the current figurehead of the Malfoy dynasty had no real need to work at the Ministry of Magic. It was actually suggested by some parties that he used his job there to keep tabs on officials, and that financial 'donations' gave him certain privileges, although there was no firm evidence of such rumours. It was, however, a well-known fact that he provided St. Mungo's Hospital with generous donations for no apparent reason. The family also owned the Malfoy Apothecary, out of which had come Superior Red, the longest matured wine in the world, a recipe they had brought with them from France all those centuries ago.

Morgana could find very little evidence to support Jacq's statement that he was a follower of the Dark Lord, though. She found a few articles in the newspaper archives about him after the First Wizarding War had ended. He had claimed Voldemort had him under the Imperius Curse, and it had never been proved or disproved either way, so Lucius had retained his job at the Ministry and his social standing.

All in all, Jacq had been right - Lucius Malfoy was certainly not the sort of person anybody should have been getting caught up with, least of all a sixteen year old witch, no matter how brilliant she may be.

 

Upon entering the spacious, circular, Ravenclaw common room, Morgana barely noticed all the fourth years and above sitting or standing around stiffly, determined not to crease or mark their beautiful gowns and dress robes before the May Day Dance started in twenty minutes time, and as she swept up the stone staircase to the room she shared with Liliana, Tilly and Jacq, Morgana was so disappointed at the apparent lack of hippogriffs in the area, that she was seriously considering not going to the dance. It wasn't as though she would be letting anyone down, as she'd systematically refused all offers of an escort for the night anyway.

As she flung open the oak door to their dormitory, though, Morgana stopped at the stunning array of gowns that met her eyes. Liliana was in a low-cut, figure-hugging scarlet number, her dark hair piled artistically on top of her head. Tilly was dressed in pale pink, her gown demure, and her blonde hair now bouncing in thick waves courtesy of Morgana's curling tongs, which lay cooling on the table beside her bed. Jacq was, as always, dressed in black, her dark hair hanging straight down her back. They all looked beautiful, complimented one another perfectly, and in that instant, Morgana knew she would be attending after all.

They all stared at her as she stood framed in the doorway, and then they glanced as one at the clock on the far wall.

"Come on, Morgana, we'll wait for you," Tilly's soft voice said.

Morgana smiled at her friends. "No, you go on, there's no point in us all being late."

"Are you sure?" Tilly looked a little torn, she didn't want to miss the start of the ball, but neither did she wish to leave Morgana behind.

"Yes, I'm sure." Morgana made a little shooing gesture with one hand, and picked up her towel and bathrobe with the other. "Go. I'll meet you downstairs in a bit."


	4. The May Day Dance

"I met her very briefly, and unexpectedly, so I'm simply curious as to who she is."  
Albus Dumbledore eyed the man opposite him suspiciously, looking not unlike the girl in question had herself the first time they had met. As far as the Professor was concerned, the fact that the governor was even in attendance at all was disconcerting enough!  
Lucius gazed lazily around the room as the headmaster considered his answer rather more carefully than the younger man felt was necessary, and he couldn't stop his breath catching in his throat as he caught sight of a lone but familiar figure at the head of the ornate stone staircase.

The rich ivory chiffon of her gown clung to her breasts, falling in light folds from the bottom of her shapely curves to the floor, and against its backdrop, her olive skin and smoky eyes were absolutely stunning. She had tamed those wild curls a little too, he noticed, for they now cascaded over her bare shoulders in perfectly formed ringlets.

Morgana's smouldering gaze fell across the entire room, finally and deliberately settling on Lucius Malfoy's open and frankly brazen stare.  
Even Dumbledore stopped for a moment to gawp up in amazement. "Ah, our young Miss D'Angelo," he exclaimed after a moment of deliberation, placing a barely discernible accent on the word 'young'. Lucius heard it, and chose to ignore it.  
Instead, if possible, he straightened up even more, and his blue gaze never left her face as he forgot about his conversation with the headmaster, and approached the foot of the staircase, meeting her just as she reached the final step.  
He gave a small bow as he introduced himself: "Lucius Malfoy."  
"Morgana D'Angelo," she countered, inclining her head slightly, as he had done those few days before, and he smiled, and held out an upturned hand.  
"May I have this dance?" he asked softly, and Morgana sensed immediately that given the opportunity, this man would be perfectly capable of talking his way into, or out of, absolutely anything. She didn't doubt that it would be harsh and clipped if he was angered, but as he spoke to her, his voice had a hypnotic quality about it, one that drew her eyes to his lips...  
Morgana watched him calculatingly, as he waited patiently for her answer.

"Why?" Her question came quietly, but suddenly, and it threw him off track a little.  
He paused, just for a moment, as though he were debating something. "Because you are very beautiful, and I have a penchant for beautiful things," he answered truthfully.  
She studied him intently once more, before gently placing her slim hand in his, signalling her agreement without speaking, allowing him to escort her into the ballroom, the mouths of her peers and of his falling open in their wake.  
Lucius swept Morgana straight into the Viennese Waltz. Their compatibility was instantaneous, and several people, students and teachers alike, paused and stepped aside to watch as the pair started to spin elegantly around the floor in the timeless dance.  
The first thing Liliana, Tilly and Jacq noticed, as they skidded to an abrupt halt in the doorway of the Great Hall after hearing the gossip, was what a striking duo Morgana D'Angelo and Lucius Malfoy made. Her raven curls and dark eyes were a dazzling contrast to his platinum hair and pale features, but neither of them overshadowed the other. Each one of them was perfect, and together they were mesmerising.  
Morgana and Lucius were, as yet, unaware of the effect their partnership had had on the rest of the ballroom. They hadn't stopped staring at one another since he'd taken her in his arms. It was a volatile mixture of desire, and curiousity, and suspicion that held each of them in the dance. Morgana's thirst for knowledge was determined to discover if Lucius Malfoy was indeed as evil as it was claimed he was, and Lucius could see a secret in the girl's gaze...She was young, but not naive, he realised.

"Why were you out in the grounds the other night?" he questioned.

"I was looking for hippogriffs," she replied, wondering if he would consider her foolish.

He smiled a little. "And did you find any?"

Morgana shook her head, the disappointment clear in her eyes.

"Have you asked the gamekeeper to assist you in your search?"

Morgana could hear the carefully controlled disdain in his voice when he said the word 'gamekeeper', but she ignored it, instead confirming that she had indeed consulted Hagrid, and that he too had been keeping a close eye out for the creature.

They fell silent again, momentarily distracted as the dance dictated that his hands should span her waist, and they spun around where they stood. Neither of them was sure if it was the exertion of their movements, or the sudden closeness of their bodies, but they were both a little breathless as they swept off again.

"I know what you are, Mr. Malfoy," Morgana commented casually.

"And what is that?" Lucius wondered indulgently out loud.

"You're a Death Eater, and a follower of the Dark Lord."

Lucius didn't miss so much as a single beat. "Am I really?" he questioned, slightly amused by her forthrightness.

"Yes, I believe you are..."  
"To suggest such a thing about a wizard such as myself, and a school governor nonetheless, could have many far-reaching consequences, Miss D'Angelo," Lucius said smoothly.

They continued to spin in the intricate dance, their bodies pressed closer than necessary, their lips mere inches apart, and only Lucius heard her murmur a reply to his thinly veiled warning.

"I'll take my chances."


	5. Suspension

Morgana hadn't expected to see Lucius Malfoy again so soon after the May Day Dance, but as she walked out of the homework room seven days later, she met him stepping off the twisting staircase that led to Professor Dumbledore's office. He gave her a charming smile as soon as he saw her, and she returned it with a wry one of her own, both of them pausing briefly, despite the chilly stares from her classmates who stood across the hall.

"Good evening, Miss D'Angelo."

"Mr. Malfoy," Morgana said quietly, inclining her head a little. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"I'm here on behalf of the Board of Governors," he explained. "I'm looking for Dumbledore." But his thoughts were clearly no longer completely on finding the headteacher as he leaned in to talk to the young witch who had somehow captured his attention so profoundly.

They spoke for only a few moments but Lucius, once again, left her company feeling more relaxed than he should, given what he was here to do, and absolutely on top of the world.

Had she have known precisely what news he was here to impart, Morgana D'Angelo may not have been quite so accommodating. Lucius was, in fact, at Hogwarts in order to suspend Albus Dumbledore as headmaster of the school, and he felt quite pleased with himself as he strode towards the gamekeeper's stone hut. He had managed to secure all twelve of the required signatures (how he had done so was a question best left unasked) within two days of making the decision to do so, and his plan to discredit a certain red-haired wizard was also well under way. He congratulated himself as he disdainfully pushed open the door of Rebeus Hagrid's home with the head of his cane, taking care not to touch anything as he walked in.  
"Ah, Fudge, already here. Good..."

 

Morgana wandered idly back to the Ravenclaw common room, greeting her housemates politely, but not stopping to chat. She continued on up the stone staircase to her dormitory, and was relieved to find it still empty. She washed quickly and slipped under the covers, pulling the blankets up to her chin - despite the log burner blazing merrily across the room, it was still liable to be chilly this early on in the year.

Morgana's fingers snuck out from under the covers, groping around unseeingly on her beside table for the book she was reading. She grabbed the smooth, leather-bound volume and pulled her hand swiftly back into the warmth of the bed, propping the book between her chest and the blankets.

She read the same page three times, and then gave up, her thoughts straying back to Lucius Malfoy. She'd been thinking about him far too often of late, and if she was honest, it disconcerted her, but she simply couldn't help it. He'd had his hair tied back with a black silk ribbon that evening, and it had seemed to distinguish him just that little bit more.

She felt something whenever she was in his presence, not just a physical attraction - he was beautiful, yes, but she knew that hadn't been what had initially drawn her to him. There had been some kind of awakening, a connection, almost, the very moment their eyes had rested on one another during that first, brief meeting, and Morgana suddenly wanted to find out what it meant, and if, indeed, had Lucius felt it too...


	6. Summer - June-August 1993

Morgana hadn't been able contain her anger when she had been shaken awake by a frantic Tilly in the early hours of May the 9th, telling her that Professor Dumbledore had been suspended as the headmaster of Hogwarts.

The witch had stared at her friend uncomprehendingly until the news had sunk in, and then she leaped out of bed, black eyes blazing, her entire being trembling with fury, knowing instinctively that that had been the reason for Lucius Malfoy's visit to the school the previous night. Her three friends backed away as she swept around their dormitory like a mini tempest, not understanding the reason for her violent outburst.

Despite her uncontrolled fit of rage, Morgana said nothing to her friends about her meeting with Lucius, nor that she believed that he was the person who engineered the suspension.  
Dumbledore was, of course, reinstated a few weeks later, after Harry Potter had killed the monster from the Chamber of Secrets and defeated the memory of Tom Riddle, and Morgana discovered she had been correct in her assessment. Although it hadn't been made common knowledge, Dumbledore had revealed to her, although only when she'd asked three times, that Lucius Malfoy had indeed been the offender behind Tom Riddle's diary entering Hogwarts, but that he'd actually been sacked from the Board of Governors for threatening to curse the other board members and their families if they refused to sign Dumbledore's suspension papers. Needless to say everyone had signed. In spite of that, Lucius had managed to hang on to his job at the Ministry of Magic. Another financial backhander, Morgana assumed with disgust, suddenly understanding why the Malfoy family had retained their affluence for so long.

After that revelation, Morgana made a concerted effort to push Lucius Malfoy from her mind, which, she quickly discovered, was no easy task.  
Her emotions alternated frequently between anger, disgust and sadness for the remaining few weeks of term, and those feelings changed to a mixture of relief and disappointment when the summer holidays began.  
That wasn't the last she saw of him, though. Their first meeting since Dumbledore's suspension came within a week of the holidays starting, and despite his charming smile and friendly greeting, Morgana ignored him, leaving Lucius Malfoy absolutely lost for words.

Her cool, "Hello, Mr. Malfoy," at their second meeting left him similarly disconcerted.  
After that, Morgana didn't expect to see Lucius anytime soon, least of all at her great-aunt's soiree two weeks later. Her heart pounded against her rib cage as she caught sight of his familiar haughty stance and long platinum hair across the room, and she stuck next to her aunt, hoping that he would be unwilling to approach her with her family so close.  
Morgana certainly didn't believe he'd have the nerve to walk up and ask her to dance, but he did, and Great-Aunt Antoinette wasted no time in accepting his offer on her niece's behalf. So, despite her half-hearted protestations, Lucius took the young witch's hand in his and led her out onto the dance floor, sweeping her easily into the waltz.  
As had happened at the May Day Dance, talking ceased and pirouettes halted in mid-twirl as people turned to watch Lucius and Morgana spin elegantly around the floor. Great-Aunt Antoinette beamed as she watched them out of the corner of her eye, delighted that her niece had clearly integrated herself with a family of such high social standing and prestige. Her brain was working furiously behind that benign smile. The Malfoy boy, Draco, was it? He surely couldn't be that many years younger than Morgana. A marriage between Morgana and Draco Malfoy would increase the D'Angelo family's standing in society no end, and so the idea was planted in her mind - she just needed to set it in action.  
Although she knew she was being immature, Morgana had initially refused to speak to Lucius as they spun around and around, but even she had to admit that, by the time the third dance had ended, she was starting to get bored of her own company.

 

Lucius had debated with himself about the sense in asking Morgana to dance. He had expected to be refused quite bluntly, not something he was used to, but he had reckoned without the presence of the statuesque Antoinette D'Angelo. She had happily accepted his offer on Morgana's behalf, and so, despite Morgana's obvious reluctance, Lucius had taken her hand and spun her into the waltz.  
Morgana's silence was, however, beginning to unsettle Lucius, which he knew was uncharacteristic of him, but he was still surprised when she finally spoke, inquiring coolly after the health of his wife and son. She didn't ask how he was himself, which would usually have annoyed him, but in this instance he barely even noticed. He replied in a low voice, explaining that Narcissa and Draco were currently visiting family in France, and wouldn't be returning until school was set to resume.  
They spoke as they continued to dance, debating the use of snakeweed in medicine, and whether or not it was right to put a weekly 'dangerous beasts' lesson on the school curriculum. In turn, the conversation drifted onto muggle animals, and Lucius hesitantly admitted, in a very quiet voice, that he owned several muggle horses.  
Lucius watched as Morgana's eyes lit up, and he knew immediately that the icy barrier that had formed between them had been broken once again.


	7. Colour - August-September 1993

Lucius couldn't help but be amazed by the whirlwind of colour that had entered his life along with Morgana. It had given him a sense of appreciation that he'd never had before, and he didn't think he'd ever forget the evening he'd arrived at Antoinette D'Angelo's London townhouse to collect Morgana to take her dancing. The young witch had swept down the staircase in a stunning sage green silk cloak, beneath which she wore an equally beautiful cerise pink evening gown, cut low on her shoulders, which had floated around them as they'd danced long into the night.  
Despite being perfectly adept at it, dancing, and waltzing in particular, had never been Lucius's favourite past time, (if anything he considered it to be repetitive and dull), but he didn't feel that way when he was spinning around the dance floor, any dance floor, with Morgana in his arms. Intellectually, they were similarly matched. He'd quickly discovered that Morgana's memory capacity was immense, she seemed to simply absorb information easier and faster than anybody Lucius had ever met. She was as skilled in verbal debates as he was, and that made for some incredibly interesting conversations, so they often talked as they danced. Their next great debate invariably began halfway through a dance, and more than once they confused and astounded onlookers as one of them strode from the dance floor in irritation.  
They met often over the following few weeks, usually at dinner parties or dances. Great-Aunt Antoinette paired them off as often as she could, still hopeful that Lucius Malfoy would see what a catch Morgana would be for his son, and if the matronly witch had heard the whispered rumours about the closeness of the influential wizard and her niece, she had obviously chosen to ignore them.

 

Upon the discovery of Morgana's love of muggle horses, Lucius had, over the course of the following few weeks, managed to source a semi-wild painted Mustang. When he'd gone to meet the filly, he'd found her to be short-tempered, high-spirited and absolutely beautiful to look at - not unlike the girl he was buying her for, Lucius had thought with a smile as he'd handed over his gold galleons.  
He'd intended to give the horse to Morgana as a seventeenth birthday present, but by the end of September he couldn't wait any longer to see her face, and so he arranged to meet his young friend at the stables in Hogsmeade village on her first Saturday trip out from school.  
Morgana had been surprised when she'd received his owl. It was the first time he'd asked to see her not in public, and the thought of doing so so close to Hogwarts made her feel a little apprehensive, but she wrapped herself in a purple cloak, told Professor Flitwick where she was going, and went anyway.  
As she approached the stables, Morgana spotted Lucius right away, and he smiled happily when he saw her striding up the dirt track.  
He greeted her softly, his voice silky smooth as it always was around her, and she replied in the same manner. She was delighted to see him, despite her nervousness, and after a few moments, she felt it was necessary to inquire as to how Narcissa felt about him being here.

Morgana had expected Lucius to say that Narcissa wasn't aware of his visit, or to even lie about it - what she hadn't expected was for him to look away sadly, and give a mumbled explanation that he and Narcissa were 'spending some time apart'. His slightly pained expression told her to not probe any further about the situation so Morgana simply nodded, and stayed silent.  
A moment later, his face brightened as he remembered why he was there, and he gestured that Morgana should wait where she was standing. She stared at his back in confusion as he disappeared into the stables and returned a few seconds later leading the most stunning horse she had ever laid eyes on.  
Morgana's gaze alternated between Lucius and the filly for several minutes before he gently handed her the reins, and said, with uncharacteristic tenderness, "Happy birthday, Morgana."  
She stared at him uncomprehendingly, and as she realised what he'd done, she felt completely overwhelmed.  
"She's for me?" Morgana's voice was somewhere between a gasp and a squeak, and Lucius nodded.  
"I know it's not quite your birthday yet, but I wanted you to have her now. She's semi-wild," he cautioned, "I thought you'd prefer that..." He trailed off, watching Morgana's face as she stepped slowly towards the Mustang, holding out her fingers so the filly could catch her scent. Unlike with himself or with the grooms at Malfoy Manor, where he'd kept the horse stabled for the past few days, the Mustang stood perfectly still as Morgana approached her, and she immediately allowed her new owner to place a gentle palm on her nose and stroke the baby soft hair there.  
Morgana's voice shook a little, and there were tears in her black eyes as she turned to Lucius and whispered, "Thankyou."


	8. Fascination

Narcissa Malfoy had initially laughed at her husband when he'd told her about Morgana, which had, for a while at least, made Lucius wish he hadn't said anything. She'd been shocked, disappointed in him, which Lucius hadn't liked very much, but she'd agreed to spend time apart, so as soon as Draco had returned to school, Narcissa had gone back to France. Lucius spoke to her almost daily, she was still his wife, and he had always cared deeply for her even if he hadn't ever necessarily been in love with her. As wonderful as a woman and a witch as she was, and Lucius truly believed she was exactly that, even after all these years, his feelings for her paled into insignificance when placed coldly and harshly next to his developing feelings for Morgana.

Lucius alternately loved and hated the fascination he had with Morgana D'Angelo. He knew others thought he was an infatuated fool, and just occasionally he wondered if they might be right. It wasn't a thought that appealed to his ego, but even he couldn't deny the two decades between their ages was quite a stretch, and neither could he explain the feelings she had awakened deep within him. He couldn't explain it, but he knew giving it up wasn't an option. Now he'd met her, he needed her in his life.  
Lucius's thoughts strayed...She was beautiful, of course, no one could deny that, but, as most people had suggested, Lucius didn't believe her looks and physique were the only reasons for his captivation with her. He adored spending time with her, talking to her, riding with her. They even practiced duelling on odd occasions. There was absolutely nothing he did not enjoy doing if Morgana was at his side.

Although her sixth year of school had started, and she was supposed to be studying, Morgana found herself wanting to spend as much time with Lucius Malfoy as she could with arousing anyone's suspicions. She managed to meet him most weekends in Hogsmeade, usually at the stables, where the mustang he had bought her was stabled during term time. She had named the horse Blaize, and the pair adored one another. Unlike everyone else who had to handle her, the mustang's fiery temperament did not extend to her owner, and Morgana loved charging across the grasslands around the village with Lucius beside her.  
The tension between herself and the wizard was growing. She could feel it every time she saw him, and she sensed he could too. When they waltzed, she knew they danced too close now, their fingers lingered just a little too long when the music ended. She had watched his pupils darken too often when they had gazed at one another, and she knew what the warm glow deep inside her meant. She wondered how long they would continue playing this game, how long would it be before one of them, or both, would give in and take a chance on the other.

 

October came, and the weather turned noticeably colder. The slightly brisker wind signalled Halloween was on its way, and Draco Malfoy elected to return to France with his mother for the duration of the holiday, leaving Lucius at a loose end. He'd taken leave of the Ministry of Magic for one week, as he often did during term breaks, in order to spend time with his son, but this time Draco wasn't here.  
Lucius spent hours upon hours debating his motives, his intentions, his desires, before he arranged lodgings in Hogsmeade for the week. Two rooms, one right across the hall from the other, both similarly furnished, and his voice shook uncharacteristically when he invited Morgana to join him in the village.  
She said yes, of course, and she packed up a small bag, and was already waiting at the front gates of the school when Lucius came strolling up the driveway.


	9. No Reins - October 1993

Morgana urged the stocky mustang onwards, and within seconds they were neck and neck with the wizard and his tan stallion.  
Lucius glanced across at her, his usually cool grey eyes alight with devilment, and she grinned back at him wickedly as they thundered across the open grassland. She was so young, and beautiful, and free, and suddenly Lucius envied her. He'd never been able to act that way, not even as a small child, he'd been permitted to do nothing that may have disgraced the name of Malfoy. Everything he had done in the past, everything he did now, was calculated, shrewd, designed to advance his own position in society, regardless of the consequences to anyone else. He considered every potential risk before he did anything.  
Morgana didn't though. She was brilliant, her mind was constantly active, but she rarely thought ahead to what might happen because of her actions. Maybe it was merely her youth, but Lucius doubted it, more likely it was the fact that she'd never had to think about what she said or did, not really. Nothing had ever depended on her staying silent or hidden.  
He watched her as her thighs gripped tight to the mare's painted abdomen, and then with pure abandon, she let go of the reins and threw her arms straight out to the sides. Her head fell back, her black curls flying loose in the wind that rushed past them. The mustang seemed to sense her rider's lack of inhibition, and her legs began to move faster, leaving Lucius's stallion trailing in her wake, and his owner with an ache in his loins.  
As Morgana raced across the grassland, it felt like she was taunting him, always just out of his grasp. Lucius forced the quivering stallion on, chasing her down, determined that today would be the day he reached her. He knew when he did, there would be no protests. It wasn't possible to kidnap the willing, after all. She was his secret, the one thing he hadn't stopped to consider the consequences of. Had he have done so, he may have realised just how dangerous she would come to be to him.  
When Morgana cantered to a halt, her cheeks rosy, her breathing unsteady, she turned to look at him, and her breath caught in her throat. She knew then that she was in love with him, and she knew too that it would be her downfall. He saw that in her eyes as he reined in the stallion beside her mustang, and yet he still pulled her from the horse and sank to the ground with her in his arms.  
She surrendered thankfully, knowing that she had played her game for long enough. Every meeting, every moment spent together up to now had been their courtship, their foreplay, and there was no finesse in what happened between them in the middle of that open plain, no tender words or gentle caresses. It was so raw, it was almost primal. It was as though their very survival depended on them satisfying their desire for one another.  
Lucius caught her mouth hungrily with his own, and she pulled him down onto her, her fingers already threading through his long, luxurious blond hair. Their movements were deft and urgent, and within seconds they became one, writhing around desperately in the prickling grasses. Lucius rolled onto his back, pushing her up so he could watch her head roll back each time she sank down onto him, and then she found a new strength, pulling him back onto her so he reared over her once again, and he called out as he buried himself deep inside her, before his trembling arms gave way and he collapsed down onto her panting form.  
Morgana held him tight, her fingers softly stroking his hair, wondering why it had taken them so long to get to this point. She'd desired him, wanted him, for so long, but she had never been completely sure that he'd felt the same way. She had feared him pushing her away, and so she had not stepped forward.  
Eventually, Lucius stirred, raising his head off her chest and looking intently into her black eyes. He gazed at her for a long, long moment before he pushed himself off her, and laid on his back, pulling her gently into the crook of his arm.  
How long they laid there, talking about what the future held and where they should go from here, neither of them knew, but it was almost sundown when Lucius kissed Morgana farewell at the covered wooden bridge that led into the back entrance of the castle, and he watched her go sadly, suddenly wishing they could have stayed on those open grasslands forever.


	10. Platform 9 3/4 - December 1993

Narcissa Malfoy had elected to collect Draco from Hogsmeade at the start of the Christmas holidays, telling him it would be easier and quicker for her to meet him there and then they fly straight to France, rather than him spending an entire day travelling all the way back to London. When her son questioned the fact that he hadn't seen his father since the beginning of the school year, Narcissa flustered for a moment, and told Draco that Lucius was having a particularly busy time at the Ministry, so he'd barely be around for the festivities anyway. Draco didn't look convinced but wisely held his tongue.  
In reality, Narcissa just wanted to avoid going anywhere near London. She wanted to avoid all the sympathetic glances and snide remarks from the women who claimed to be her friends. Her husband's obsession with Morgana D'Angelo was becoming common knowledge now, and although she didn't believe it would last much longer, Narcissa just wanted to stay away from the entire, slightly sordid, situation.

As the scarlet locomotive groaned out of Hogsmeade station, Morgana sat chatting happily with Liliana, Tilly and Jacq in a private compartment. It was Christmas, and although they knew they'd miss one another, they were each delighted to be heading home for the holidays.Morgana was feeling joyful yet somehow apprehensive at the same time. With Narcissa and Draco staying in France, she was spending this Christmas at Malfoy Manor, and although she hated doing it, and she hadn't out and out lied to her parents, she had neglected to mention that Draco wouldn't actually be there. As such, Aunt Antoinette had been delighted to hear that her plan to arrange a marriage between her great-niece and the Malfoy boy appeared to be proceeding well. Morgana considered that the less her family currently knew, the better it would be for them, so she encouraged the notions of a marriage with Draco whilst spending time with Lucius.  
As the train neared London, Morgana's apprehension turned to excitement. Lucius had said he would be waiting for her on Platform 9 3/4, and he was.  
His tall figure was the first thing Morgana saw as the Hogwarts Express puffed slowly into Kings Cross Station, and she smiled inwardly. He was in a customary dark suit, and a thick black cloak which he had pulled tightly around his body in an attempt to keep out the cold. He caught her eye, and she gave him a wide smile, knowing she would soon be back in his arms.

Stood on Platform 9 3/4 for the first time in almost twenty-five years, Lucius Malfoy was transported briefly back to his school days. The sights were the same and so were the smells, the only thing different was that the people who surrounded him were now collecting their children instead of waiting to be collected.  
He recalled his first visit to Platform 9 3/4. Despite his affluent upbringing, the hidden station had still impressed him, and he'd been awestruck as Hagrid had taken the first years across the Black Lake with Hogwarts school rising up majestically in front of them.  
A shrieking hiss brought his attention back to the present, and he looked up to see the scarlet locomotive pulling into the station. Lucius saw Morgana before she saw him, but he could tell she was searching the crowd for him even before the train stopped.  
As soon as she noticed him, Morgana smiled happily, and Lucius couldn't help grinning back.

The parents surrounding Lucius saw his broad smile, and they stared curiously into the train. As they saw who had caught his eye, they gave one another sideways glances, wondering who the young woman was. They knew she wasn't his daughter.  
They watched surreptitiously as she stepped off the train and Lucius walked forward to greet her. Their meeting appeared a little strained, as though it was more formal than the pair were used to, and there were many whispered debates on Platform 9 3/4 that day as to what Lucius Malfoy was doing meeting a girl nobody knew off the Hogwarts Express.


	11. Malfoy Manor

Despite Lucius telling her they were only minutes away from it, Malfoy Manor was still completely obscured from view by the thick forest that surrounded it. Morgana was indescribably nervous. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, and she held Lucius's hand rather tighter than she would usually have done. He lounged back against the shiny leather seat of the Rolls Royce, and chatted away, attempting to calm Morgana's apprehension, but he could sense it wasn't working on this occasion.  
The chauffeur turned the car smoothly onto a driveway, slowing gradually as they reached a pair of enormous black wrought iron gates, which evaporated in front of their eyes. The gravel driveway was bordered on either side by squared off hedges even taller than the gates, and Morgana sensed rather saw the extensive grounds that encompassed the house.  
As they emerged from the succession of evergreens, Morgana gasped aloud. Malfoy Manor wasn't a manor house at all. It was a mansion!  
Six five-storey turrets rose majestically into the sky, flanking the main body of the stone house. It was astounding, a truly amazing building, and Morgana continued to gaze at it in wonderment as Lucius helped her out of the car.  
Lucius was used to people expressing their admiration of his house, but on this day he felt both proud and humbled as this young woman, one of the most beautiful creations he had ever been blessed enough to lay eyes on, regarded his home with absolute marvel.  
The wizard took Morgana's hand, and she followed him up the four shallow steps to the massive oak doors. The doors opened slowly to reveal an enormous, dimly-lit hallway, ornate doors leading off from it in every direction.  
Lucius placed his hand on her lower back, pushing her gently into the reception hall, unable to contain a smile as she gazed up at the stunning marble staircase above her head. He striped off his black leather gloves, throwing them carelessly onto the table beside the door, and unclasped the silver snake brooch on his cloak. He left the cloak on, and gently retrieved Morgana's hand. She turned to look at him, a smile on her lips, and he said softly, "Come on, I'll show you to your room."  
He held her hand, leading her up the wide staircase to the first floor, guiding her left when they reached the top.  
Morgana studied the portraits lining the corridor. Centuries worth of haughty wizards and witches stared down at them as they passed along the hall. Malfoy ancestors, she supposed, the ones not quite prominant enough to be on show in the public areas of the house, but still too important to be hidden away. The faces in the paintings were inscrutable, as Lucius's was much of the time. Blond hair and grey eyes were dominant in many of the pictures, and Morgana noticed Malfoy Manor in many of them - it was fascinating to see how the house had changed over time.  
Lucius stopped at the very end of the corridor, watching Morgana's face as he opened the heavy oak door of the tower room. He stood back against the carved door, and let go of her hand as she stepped slowly past him into the room.  
Morgana strolled around in awe. She could feel the plushness of the rich scarlet red carpet even through the soles of her shoes, and she couldn't stop her fingers trailing lightly over the deep plum and emerald silk curtains at the windows. The room was vast, and amazing in itself, but the centerpiece was nothing short of divine. The mahogany four poster bed on the left wall was draped with lengths of red, purple and emerald voil to match the rest of the room, and a silk scarlet throw covered the mattress.  
Morgana looked at Lucius again, completely overwhelmed by his efforts to make her visit comfortable.  
"Lucius, this is beautiful...Thankyou."  
The wizard stared shyly down at his highly polished black shoes. "You don't need to thank me, Morgana, I just wanted to make you happy."  
She was suddenly there in front of him, her fingers easing his chin upwards so their gazes met.  
"Being with you alone makes me happy," Morgana murmured, and her fingertips strayed up to his face, her palm pressing gently against his cheek, and at that tender caress, they both knew they'd been apart for too long.  
Their arms snaked around each other, their eager mouths crashing together, and Lucius kicked the heavy door closed as his fingers found the silk laces on the back of her bodice. Morgana felt the fabric loosen around her torso as he pulled the ribbon undone, and she shoved him back against the closed door, fumbling a little as she unbuttoned his jacket. She eased both the jacket and the black cloak from his shoulders in one swift movement, and they pooled together on the floor, forgotten.  
Morgana was on tiptoes, her fingers tangled in Lucius's thick blond hair. He began to push her slowly backwards in the direction of the bed, easing the bodice of her dress down to her waist, and she started to unbutton his shirt. By the time he felt the coolness of the silk throw against the backs of his thighs, the only stitch of fabric between them was Morgana's sheer black stockings, and if he was honest, Lucius didn't see them causing him any difficulty.  
She pushed him effortlessly back into the softness of the bed, a saucy smile playing on her lips, and he offered no resistance as her mouth began to work its magic on his willing body. She already knew what he liked and what to avoid, and Lucius was transported into a world of pure bliss. Moments later, he reached out for her and pulled her up across his chest, his lips searching for hers once more, his hands gliding smoothly down the full length of her back. He shuddered as she rolled over, pulling him with her so he mounted her. The suddenness of her movement astounded and inflamed him, and a second later they became one.  
As his body entered hers, Morgana's stocking-clad legs involuntarily curled around his buttocks and her head fell backwards as he lowered his lips to the soft swell of her breasts. She gasped aloud as his tongue found the nipple of her left breast, and she moaned as he caught it gently between his teeth.  
When Lucius opened his eyes and looked up, the sight that met his eyes overwhelmed him. Morgana's body was arched upwards, her head tilted back in sweet agony, the silken sheets twisted around her fingers. Lucius had never seen anything so erotic, and it was too much for him. He gave a low groan as his body emptied itself deep within hers, and his trembling arms gave way and he collapsed on top of her.  
They lay still for several minutes, and then Morgana began to wriggle beneath him. Lucius eased himself up, his hair falling across her breasts before he brushed it out of his face. They shared a secretive smile, and Lucius rolled onto his back, lazily announcing that he believed he'd show her the rest of the manor tomorrow, that this particular room was all she really needed to see tonight, and Morgana chuckled a little in agreement. She had the next three weeks to explore Malfoy Manor, the only thing she really wanted to do right now was to reacquaint herself, wholly, with its lord and master.


	12. Christmas Morning

On Christmas morning, Morgana awoke slowly and stretched lazily, expecting one limb or another to feel Lucius's warm body tucked up beside her as it had been the past six mornings. She was disappointed to find the bed around her empty. She drew the covers loosely around her naked form and shuffled up into a sitting position, hoping to see him somewhere else in the room.  
There was no sign of Lucius, but a large box that hadn't been there the previous evening was now perched on the mahogany dressing table. The box was a rich ivory colour and was decorated with a wide plum-coloured silk ribbon.  
Holding the sheets around her, Morgana slipped out of the four poster bed, her dainty toes sinking into the plush carpet beneath her feet, and wandered curiously over to the dressing table. On top of the box was a short note, written in a well-formed hand, on a piece of parchment.

'The first of many gifts on this day.  
Ever yours, Lucius.'

She tucked the top of the sheet around her chest, fashioning herself some kind of toga, and gently eased the lid off the box's base.  
The young witch gasped aloud, incredulously, when she saw what was laid inside.  
A rich, deep scarlet red and gold brocade dress stared up at her. Morgana stood open-mouthed for a long moment, looking down at it in sheer wonderment. Hardly daring to touch it, she picked it up gently at the shoulders and the gown tumbled gracefully down to the floor, its true glory now evident, and Morgana gasped again. She held it up for a while before her arms began to ache, and then she gently laid it across the empty bed and hurried into the bathroom to wash.

Morgana stood in front of the ornate mirror, marvelling at her new attire. It was so very beautiful. The velvet overdress laced up at the front, sweeping from under her breasts in a figure-hugging curve, up and over her shoulders. The red sleeves fitted snugly to elbow-length and then cascaded in gentle gold brocade folds to past her knees. A matching gold brocade under dress covered her breasts and was exposed at the front of the dress where the velvet parted. A red hood with silk gold lining completed the gown.  
She wore her dark hair down, it rippled in soft waves down over the bodice of the dress, a striking contrast to the gold. She wore little make-up, a brush of mascara and a dab of lipstick, she knew she needed nothing more. Her radiance and vitality shone more brightly than any make-up ever could.  
Morgana smiled at her reflection, her black eyes alight. She straightened her back, and swept from the room.

Lucius Malfoy stood ramrod straight, as he always did, at the foot of the marble staircase. He was in his customary dark suit and white shirt, but there was a splash of colour this morning. His waistcoat was a deep claret red and in his hands he held a small plum-coloured box secured with an ivory ribbon.  
Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, Lucius looked up and immediately stopped short, his cool grey-blue eyes on the figure at the head of the stairs.  
Morgana always looked beautiful, but today there was an aura about her, so radiant, so vitalizing, that she stunned him into silence. He gazed at her adoringly, and even from such a distance, her black eyes captivated him.  
Holding the dress up just a little to avoid tripping, she stepped slowly down to greet him, the small heels of the matching shoes she had found at the bottom of the dress box tapping lightly on the marble.  
She reached him with a shy smile and took his proffered arm.  
Lucius genuinely couldn't take his eyes off her, uncomprehendingly offering her the box with a tender, "Merry Christmas, Morgana."  
She accepted it graciously, her warm eyes gazing longingly into his.  
"Merry Christmas, Lucius," she replied softly.


	13. Christmas At The Manor

As the note had suggested, Lucius had continued to present Morgana with gifts throughout the day. The box he had handed to her at the foot of the staircase had contained a stunning garnet and gold necklace, the enormous stones a perfect match to the red velvet of her dress, and she'd moaned a little when he kissed her neck as he fastened it there. After breakfast he'd handed her another gift box containing a first edition of Hogwarts: A History.  
They'd spent the morning outside, thundering across the manicured lawns and into the dense forest beyond, the painted mustang filly and the tall tan stallion effortlessly keeping stride with one another. The animals had learned that although their mistress and master enjoyed racing one another, they preferred riding side by side more, and often one would reach out a hand to the other, slowing the horses down to a leisurely canter so Lucius could lean down to kiss Morgana's lips.  
They returned to the manor just before midday. As soon as they entered the house, Wicky, the tiny female house elf rushed up to them and announced that lunch would be served as soon as Master was ready. Lucius gave her a curt nod and took Morgana's arm to escort her into the dining room.  
They sat at either end of the ornate oak table, the huge candelabra shining brightly onto the polished wood below it. Wicky waited on them, and contrary to his usual behaviour, Lucius was quite benevolent with her, leading the middle-aged elf to believe that Mr. Malfoy's attitude towards everything (house elves included) softened just a little in the presence of this lovely young lady. Wicky liked Miss D'Angelo. The witch had been ever so kind and polite to all the Malfoy house elves she'd met, thus endearing herself to them, and they'd all noticed the change in Mr. Malfoy in the few days Miss D'Angelo had been at the manor. Wicky wished Morgana would stay forever.  
The food was, as always, divine, and they both ate well after their long ride. Wicky hurried back and forth several times, clearing away plates and dishes, and then she left them alone once more, giving Morgana a small smile on her way out.  
Lucius looked along the length of the table, and the gaze that settled on Morgana was tender, as it always was.  
Morgana rose from her seat, her fingers trailing lightly behind her along the smooth dark wood of the table as she sauntered provocatively towards Lucius, her hips swaying gently. He leaned back in his chair, his bejewelled fingers curled around the carved armrests, his knees resting slightly apart. He looked every inch the lord of the manor.  
She stood beside his chair, and his hand slipped around her hip and grasped her buttocks, pulling her willing body around so she was facing him, jammed between his chair and the table.  
Lucius gently pushed her backwards until she was perched on the edge of the dining table, and his hands grasped hold of the hem of her gown, easing it slowly upwards until his fingers were able to curl around her bare thighs, and then he kept going. Morgana reached out for him. She gave him that look, and Lucius was lost.


	14. Christmas Night

After their impromptu love-making had reached a satisfying conclusion, Lucius and Morgana had slipped, partially-clothed, across the reception hallway, into Lucius's study, where they had started all over again, shedding the remainder of their clothes frantically and tumbling down onto the exquisitely soft fur rug in front of the fire.  
As he lay on his back gazing up at Morgana, Lucius wondered if he'd ever seen anything so beautiful. Her back was arched a little, so her breasts jutted forwards, and her black waves curled softly over her shoulders and down the centre of her back.  
Morgana opened her eyes and looked down, and the first thing she noticed was that Lucius's normally cold grey gaze was no longer cold. His eyes were filled with warmth, and desire, and need, and something else Morgana couldn't quite name. His fingers were spread across her thighs, holding her firmly down where he wanted her, needed her, to be.  
Morgana orgasmed first, and as her body sank down onto his one final time, she was followed mere seconds later by Lucius. He shuddered violently, pulling her down against him, kissing her deeply once more, and then his taut form relaxed a little, allowing her to roll into the crook of his arm, both of them breathing heavily and unevenly.

Lucius didn't know how long he had laid there, but when he next opened his eyes, Morgana was curled up in the chair above his head, totally engrossed in her copy of Hogwarts: A History. She was wearing his white shirt and, as far as he could tell, absolutely nothing else. Wicked thoughts ran through his mind, but Lucius rather reluctantly ignored them and stood up, pulling on his discarded trousers as he did so.  
From under her eyebrows, Morgana watched him wander over to his desk and open a draw, his hand withdrawing another small plum and ivory gift box. She couldn't help but smile as he returned to her side, perching on the low stool beside the chair, and presenting it to her with a bow of his blond head.  
"Lucius, so many gifts...I only got you one thing..." She trailed off as he pressed a tender finger to her lips, opening it for her. She stared for a long moment when she saw what it was. Nestled inside was another necklace. This one though, was blackened silver. The chain was long, and the pendant was a heart, a serpent wrapped tightly around it, its tiny emerald eyes glinting mysteriously.  
Morgana swung her legs out from under her body, leaning forward a little to allow Lucius room to remove the heavy gold and garnet necklace she'd been wearing since that morning, and replace it with the one she had just received. The pendant settled in her cleavage, not visible beneath the white shirt which had slipped down on one shoulder as she'd moved.  
Morgana continued to sit where she was as Lucius wandered back to his desk. He sat down behind it and picked up a pencil, pulling a piece of plain parchment from a left-hand draw. She watched curiously as he began to make long sweeping strokes on the paper, and almost instinctively, she knew he was sketching her. Her head was telling her to move, to not let him draw her, but her heart and the intensity of emotion in his expression told her to sit still, to wait until he'd finished.  
It didn't take him very long. She remained there for maybe fifteen minutes, a smile on her lips and a sparkle in her eyes, and her gaze was on him every time he looked up.  
When he'd got everything he needed, Lucius simply picked up the parchment and tucked it back carefully where he had found it, returning the pencil to its original place before he stood again, taking Morgana's hand and leading her back to the bedchamber he had created for her.  
He left her at the door, his tender kiss lingering on her lips long after he'd swept away down the corridor back to his own bedroom.

Lucius was nowhere to be seen when Morgana stepped down into the reception area at two minutes past seven. She waited for a moment, and then Wicky appeared from nowhere.  
"Master asks that you meet him in the drawing room, Miss Morgana."  
Morgana smiled at the kindly house elf, thanking her politely as she headed across the hallways into the drawing room.  
The young witch paused in the doorway, her breath catching soundlessly in her throat.  
Lucius stood with his back to a large marble pillar, staring contemplatingly down into the half-filled brandy glass resting in his fingers. He was dressed completely in black, and the glow of the fire and the flickering candles bounced of the single row of sequins at the wrists of his jacket sleeves and the satin of his shirt cuffs.  
His platinum blond hair fell over his shoulders, freshly washed, and he looked...as though he'd discovered something important, something he hadn't been prepared for.  
Lucius caught a glimpse of Morgana's green and silver gown as it shimmered in the dimly lit room. He smiled inwardly - Slytherin colours, he noted, worn especially for him, and almost undoubtedly chosen to compliment the necklace he had given her that afternoon. He knew that necklace was not something she would usually wear, and he wondered if she genuinely liked it or if she was just wearing it to please him. The only reason he'd bought it for her was because of the pendant. A serpent wrapped around a heart. At the time it had seemed appropriate. Possibly it was even more so now.  
He gazed at her from under his brows for a long moment, taking the time to appreciate her slender yet shapely form in the figure-hugging dress, before he pushed himself off the pillar and held out his hand to her.

After their light evening meal, Morgana had stood by Lucius's side, and had handed him a small black velvet box. He gazed down at the top of her bowed head, bending to kiss her before he'd even opened it. She smiled a little shyly, and he stared down in wonder as he unclasped the lid. Tucked within the velvet rolls was a white gold ring, its flat emerald stone blinking up at him brilliantly, and even in the dimness of the drawing room, Lucius could see the outline of a tiny engraved picture. He lifted it carefully from its soft surround and held it closer to his face, scarcely able to believe what he saw.  
It appeared that he hadn't been the only one to see a significance in the animals on the Slytherin and Ravenclaw coats of arms; for etched onto the surface of the emerald, almost invisible to the naked eye, was a raven. And she carried a serpent in her talons.


	15. Ever Yours?

Due to Morgana's inquisitive nature and thirst for information, the tour of Malfoy Manor took almost four hours. Lucius's brain was given a thorough workout as she bombarded him with questions about the house itself, the people who had lived there, and the guests who had visited it. She listened intently to everything he told her and counteracted with more questions, and their walkabout finally ended just after eleven o'clock, in the ballroom.  
The dance hall was one of the only public areas of the house that Morgana hadn't yet visited, and she confessed that even Hogwarts' Great Hall at its finest couldn't compare to Malfoy Manor's ballroom.  
The gunmetal grey and white tiled floor gleamed like nothing she'd ever seen before, and the floor to ceiling windows were draped elegantly with emerald green and silver silk curtains. The walls were pale grey, painted with an intricate green and black design. The elephantine chandelier in the centre of the ceiling was also black, and its hundreds of tiny, tiny candles burned brightly, making the room almost seductive.  
Lucius left an awestruck Morgana standing in the middle of the room, and he walked slowly over to the black grand piano in the furthest corner of the room. He sat on the leather covered stool, and then music filled the room, causing Morgana to jump a little, and she swung round to look at Lucius. She began to dance by herself around the empty room, spinning round like a child, and when she caught his eye, he was smiling a smile that filled her heart with joy.  
She slowed and danced across the room to the piano, and back into Lucius's arms.  
Noticing some instruments laid on a shelf behind the piano, Morgana pulled her wand from the concealed pocket in her dress, and flicked her wrist. The instruments flew weightlessly over their heads, forming a little semi-circle in front of the piano, and then she commanded in a whisper, "Now play."  
The soft sound of violins swept across them, and from nowhere, a lilting voice began singing. There was an undeniable twang to it, but Lucius barely heard it as he tenderly took Morgana's waist and fingers in his hands. They danced where they were, just off the centre of the room, and she laid her head on his chest as the lyrics washed over them:

"With every move she makes  
I'm deeper than I've been  
Holding on and letting go  
She just keeps giving in  
Taking me higher and further  
There she goes again  
Giving more than she takes  
'Cause it's more than love she makes,  
She goes all the way

No questions  
No talking at all  
Only the sound of our hearts as they fall  
No matter what I need, her answer's always yes  
I only have to dream  
and she does the rest"  
[Lyrics by Rascal Flatts: She Goes All The Way]

Lucius rested his cheek on the top of her head, and a sigh escaped his lips as he breathed in the sweet smell of her hair, and in that moment he knew for certain that he loved her, absolutely and with more intensity than he'd felt about anyone or anything before in his entire life.  
It was almost as though the song knew his thoughts, for the second he realised he had to tell her, the voice began to fade away, and Morgana lifted her head and her black eyes gazed deep into his soul.  
"I love you, Morgana."  
Morgana's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment Lucius wondered if he'd said too much.  
With her heart thundering against her rib-cage, Morgana heard the words she'd dreamed of hearing for so long. She'd known his feelings for a while, sensed them, but she'd never expected him to say them out loud, and then her raspberry red lips curved into the most beautiful, brilliant smile he'd ever seen.  
"I love you, too, Lucius."  
"Ever yours?" He questioned earnestly.  
"Always."


	16. Halfblood - January 1994

Lucius and Morgana knew their time together was swiftly coming to an end, and the realisation saddened them. Morgana was heading back to Hogwarts via her parent's house, and Lucius back to London and the Ministry.  
When the day arrived for Morgana to depart, they had laid in bed until late in the morning, talking, wishing, making love one last time for who knew how long, and then they had taken breakfast, intending to take a short ride together before Morgana left.  
A wrinkled house elf that Morgana hadn't seen before waited on them that morning. Wicky whispered that his name was Wilno, and he was as mean as they came. Morgana gave Wicky a small wink, and made an effort to be pleasant to Wilno despite his grumpiness and grumblings.  
It was only when Morgana asked him, very politely, to see that her trunk was brought down by the time she and Lucius returned from their ride, that the young witch understood exactly what Wicky had meant when she had said Wilno was as mean as they came.  
"Filthy half-blood!" Wilno muttered viciously.  
Morgana stumbled back as though the elf had physically struck her, and Lucius drew in a quick, sharp breath. Had he heard the miserable old house elf correctly?  
The expression on the girl's face told him he had. Lucius gripped the back of the chair he was standing behind, his knuckles turning white, and he suddenly felt short of breath. Unlike himself, Morgana didn't appear horrified at the content of Wilno's statement, more just shocked that somebody had spoken to her in that manner, about something she considered so unimportant.  
Lucius's gaze alternated between the most amazing, fascinating woman he had ever met in his entire life, to the marble fireplace, to the silky smooth wood of the dining table, and back to Morgana. He couldn't quite comprehend or process the information he'd just received. This woman, this beautiful, vibrant, brilliant witch, was only a half-blood?  
Lucius drew in a harsh, rasping breath, pushed himself away from the support of the chair, and stumbled from the room, his mind reeling...He, one of the only wizard's in Great Britain who could prid himself on his pure bloodline; he, who believed absolutely in blood purity; he, who had become a Death Eater in order to assist the Dark Lord in ousting the muggle-borns from the wizarding world, was in love with a half-blood witch.  
Nausea crept over Lucius as he staggered into his study, and he sank thankfully into the supple leather chair behind his desk just moments before his knees gave way. He sprawled there, breathing hard for a while, as the same thoughts whirled around and around in his mind. For some reason, although he'd never asked her, he had always assumed Morgana was a pure-blood, as her great-aunt Antoinette was. And, it transpired, she wasn't at all.  
Lucius looked down at his hands and realised they were shaking uncontrollably. He gripped them together, and sucked in deep breaths, trying to calm his emotions. He was not, by nature, a person who lost control easily. He had spent far too many years disguising his true feelings about everything around him for something like this to be the thing to break that guard.  
If it had been somebody else, anyone but Morgana, Lucius would have thrown them out of his house in anger, maybe even muttered a curse or two against them, but instead he just sat there, trying to comprehend exactly how he had fallen for this woman.  
It took him several hours to realise that her blood status didn't actually bother him anywhere near as much as it should have done, and then he spent another hour wondering how he was going to explain his behaviour to Morgana. He still didn't really know what he was going to say when he ventured cautiously out of his private sanctum late that afternoon, only to discover Morgana had gone.  
When he asked the question, Wicky informed him, quite coldly, that Miss D'Angelo had packed up her belongings and had said she would be returning to Hogwarts. Lucius stood staring blankly at the house elf, not understanding, and then he realised that Morgana had left him, walked out of his life because of his own stupidity.  
Shoulders slumped and head bowed low, the proud wizard returned to his study, the door barely making a sound as he closed it sadly behind him.

Morgana had been stunned at Wilno's spiteful words, but they had been nothing compared to Lucius's reaction. She had seen the horror in his gaze when he'd suddenly realised what the house elf was saying, and even had he have tried, Morgana wouldn't have been able to forgive that look. In that moment, she had seen Lucius's true self, the person the rest of the world saw, the blood purist who believed himself to be above her. Even knowing that, she had waited, pacing the hollow, opulant rooms and corridors of Malfoy Manor, foolishly hoping he would come and find her, and tell her it didn't matter, that he loved her anyway, regardless of her bloodline.  
An hour had passed, and then two, and Morgana realised sorrowfully that Lucius wasn't coming, that her tainted, impure blood, meant more to him than she herself did. So, she had gathered up her clothes, and the few other things she had brought with her from Hogwarts, and she had left, taking one last look around the beautiful drawing room where they had spent the last few nights together, and she shook the memories of them away as she had walked from the house.  
She had felt Wicky's sad gaze following her down the long gravel drive, and she had given the elf a small wave before disappearing through the enormous wrought iron gates.


	17. A New Year

There were very few students or teachers at Hogwarts when Morgana arrived, cold, hungry and heartbroken, on the evening of January 4th. Term didn't begin for another two days but Morgana couldn't stand the thought of going home to her parents house for the final days of the holiday, as she'd originally planned. She'd sent her mother an owl from Swindon, telling her the Malfoys were taking her back to school. It was an outright lie, but for once Morgana was too devastated to care. She just hoped Lucius wouldn't bump into them at any London parties anytime soon.  
At the thought of his name, tears welled up in Morgana's eyes once again, and she shook them furiously away. It had taken her all day and well into the evening to get from Wiltshire to the Scottish Highlands on muggle trains, and she'd spent most of that time crying.  
She dumped her trunk in the entrance corridor, knowing a school house elf would find it soon and take it along to her dormitory for her, and she wandered forlornly along to the Great Hall. It was empty except for two teachers seated at the top table. Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape glanced up at the sudden movement in the doorway, and the headmaster called out a warm greeting to Morgana.  
"Miss D'Angelo! I wasn't expecting to see you back so soon...As I understood it, you were spending the holidays with a close friend?"  
Morgana blinked in surprise, wondering, not for the first time, how Dumbledore knew such things. She stepped a few metres into the Great Hall, and offered a reply, but the attempted lightness in her voice wasn't convincing. "That...that didn't work out, Professor."  
Even from where she stood, Morgana could see the understanding in the elderly wizard's sky-blue eyes, which peered over his half-moon spectacles at her.  
"I'm sorry to hear that, Morgana." Despite the fact she knew Dumbledore despised Lucius Malfoy, Morgana could sense the headmaster was genuinely sad for her, and it made her adore him all the more. She smiled sadly, and said, "Goodnight, professors," ignoring Snape's quizzical stare as she slipped away, up the stairs to the relative safety of the Ravenclaw common room.

Snape's gaze turned to Dumbledore, one eyebrow raised in an unspoken question.  
The headmaster paused for a moment, debating whether or not to explain the young witch's situation. In the end, he decided it would be a wise move to do so, especially to Severus. He'd sensed, looking at the girl and in spite of her words, that this wasn't over yet, and any aftermath could indeed involve the potions master.  
And so, Dumbledore explained quietly, ignoring Snape's open-mouthed shock , explaining the relationship between Morgana and Lucius, but cautioning the younger man that nothing needed to be done unless Draco Malfoy discovered the secret. Snape agreed reluctantly to say nothing to Lucius, one of his oldest friends, but he wasn't happy about it, the headmaster realised, wondering for a brief moment if he'd made the right decision. 'Oh, well,' he thought sagely, 'what's said is said,' and he drew Severus into a conversation about snakesbane, hoping silently that Morgana would be okay.

When her friends arrived back at school on the evening of January 6th, still chattering excitedly about their holidays, they took one look at Morgana and just knew something terrible had happened.  
At the first concerned look, Morgana had dissolved into angry tears once again, her cries racking her entire body as she told Liliana, Tilly and Jacq everything that had happened two days previously. Tilly had hugged her friend, feeling her misery. Liliana had glared ominously, her huge eyes turning a venomous shade of green as she heard the story. And Jacq said nothing. Morgana knew what she was thinking. She was recalling the warning she had given her friend all those months ago, before the May Day Dance, and wishing she'd listened to her.  
Morgana rested her head on Tilly's shoulder, dampening it before her sobs finally began to subside, and then she told them about the previous three weeks, the dancing and the riding, the meals, the house, the gifts she'd been given for Christmas. She showed them the pendant, the one thing she'd brought back with her out of everything he'd gifted to her. And then she told them about the night Lucius had told her he loved her. Tears filled her eyes again as she relived the bittersweet memory of that moment, and the warm liquid trickled down her cheeks slowly this time, not furiously, as they had done all the times she had cried before.  
Tilly held Morgana for a long time, letting her softly cry herself to sleep, and then the blonde-haired Scot tucked the blankets around her heartbroken friend before sadly leaving the dormitory they shared to attend the Start of Term Feast with Liliana and Jacq.  
When they returned to their room two hours later, Morgana was sleeping fitfully, and they could all see the traces of fresh tears on her smooth cheeks.


	18. Overdue

Lucius had barely slept for the past two days, his mind frequently replaying the look of sadness that had swept across Morgana's face as he'd stumbled from the room. He knew she'd known what he was thinking, and he felt unbelievably ashamed of himself for even allowing her blood status to cross his mind. And he wasn't a man who felt ashamed easily - some of the things he had done in the past...  
Lucius shook away those thoughts. He'd told Morgana the night before it all happened that he loved her, and he did. It hadn't switched off just because he'd discovered she was a half-blood.  
He hadn't been looking for her, hadn't been searching for the love he now felt. In fact, he'd been perfectly satisfied with the way his life had been going. He'd had a caring wife, a son who was following in his father's footsteps, his estate, the Malfoy Apothecary, and his little job at the Ministry, which had kept him amused and informed of current events. Granted, he still had all that now, but now there Morgana, too. And he'd lost her due to something he no longer even felt was important.  
The burning question that remained was what in the name of Merlin he was going to do about it?

Against what her heart was screaming at her, Morgana didn't read the letters Lucius sent her. Jacq tried to persuade her to burn them, but Morgana couldn't bring herself to do it. She kept them safe in a small, lockable trinket box, only taking it out of its hiding place when she was sure she was alone. She didn't read the letters, just gazed at the neat, elegant writing on the rear surface of the envelopes. 'Ever yours'. It was written on every single one. "Ever yours?" he had questioned that night. And she had replied, "Always." Recalling those three words still made her cry. She was always so emotional now. She cried at the drop of a hat. And her concentration levels were shot to pieces. She felt constantly nauseous, and the exhaustion was unbelievable. She'd just about managed to keep up to date with her schoolwork, but she knew her saving grace there was her ability to absorb information quickly.  
Professor Snape had noticed her listlessness in Potions one afternoon, and had snapped out three questions at her in rapid succession. She'd got two of them correct, but had missed what he'd just said, which had been the answer to the third query. He had commented, in no uncertain terms, that she would be far better off paying attention than staring out of the window, and she had agreed, and then her gaze had slipped back to the dullness of the grounds outside the tiny window.

It was another three weeks before Morgana realised that something that was supposed to happen, hadn't happened. Her period was late. In fact, one hadn't come at all, and the next was fifteen days overdue.  
Her entire body quivered as she informed her three best friends, and they had to almost drag her along to see Madam Pomfrey. The elderly matron was kind, far kinder than Morgana knew she deserved, as she handed the student what the muggle world called a home pregnancy test.  
Morgana knew what result she was going to see, even before she'd dipped the indicator into the specimen jar, and her hand shook as she gazed down, three minutes later, at the little white stick which was going to change her life.


	19. Draco - March 1994

Draco Malfoy stood with his friends outside Hogwarts. It was their first trip into Hogsmeade that year, and they, more than most, were glad to be leaving the school for a few hours.  
They all walked down to the village together, one long train of students split into many groups of threes and fours, but when they got to Hogsmeade they were permitted to go where they wished, so long as they were keeping out of trouble. Draco scoffed, knowing he and his friends had no intention of hanging around the bustling but quaint village. They were off to the small copse they had discovered, to practise the magic they weren't allowed to do in school.  
As Draco, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and Pansy Parkinson made their way, laughing, across the meadow which led to the copse, Draco noticed a lone figure striding a short distance ahead. He recognised the walk, and knew it must be someone from school, someone who had made it to the village a while before the third years had. One of the older students he guessed. It was a girl, with long dark curling hair, but beyond that he couldn't see who it was.  
Draco watched as the figure turned off the trail they were heading down, and, persuading his friends to continue on to the copse, he followed the girl, determined to see who she was and where she was going.  
He was surprised to discover a yard full of stables just over the brow of the hill. Spread out below him were dozens of muggle horses cantering, galloping, stamping and snorting in the brisk March air.  
This was where the girl was going, he realised, slightly disappointed it hadn't been somewhere more interesting.  
Draco turned to leave, but as he did so he caught a glimpse of a far more familiar figure. The man's imposing stance and long white-blond hair against a black cloak was unmistakable.  
Draco watched curiously as his father looked up and saw the dark haired girl, clearly expecting her, and he hurried towards her after a moments pause.

 

Lucius went to touch her, and Morgana side-stepped him, staring at him coolly as she did so. She gave no reply to his greeting, nor to his question about her health.  
"What did you want to see me about?" She asked brusquely. Nothing more than her pride was keeping her from throwing herself into his embrace at that moment, and she knew the minute she let that guard slip, the wizard would use it to his advantage.  
Lucius appeared momentarily nonplussed. He wasn't used to her being like this around him, but he knew he deserved it so he cleared his throat and continued.  
"I brought someone with me I thought you'd like to see." He looked over his shoulder, and suddenly a long white and tan nose appeared from behind him. That nose was followed by two enormous brown eyes and a fringe of pure white hair.  
"Blaize," Morgana breathed, forgetting Lucius's presence and hurrying over to the Mustang. The filly whinnied softly against Morgana's cheek as the witch threw her arms around her equine friend, and hugged her fiercely.  
Morgana stood at Blaize's side and looked at Lucius again. "Thankyou," she said in a tight voice.  
"She's missed you," the wizard said softly, "as have I."  
Morgana's resolve almost crumpled there and then. She could feel yet more tears in her eyes and she turned away so if they fell, he wouldn't see them.  
"I'm sorry." Lucius sounded undeniably genuine. "I know an apology will never be enough, but I was a fool to think, even for a moment, that your blood status should mean more to me than you do yourself...It doesn't. I love you, Morgana."  
It was the second time he had said those words in as many months, and this time Morgana's tears spilled over, and she brushed them away on a fold of her cloak, lifting her head high and saying, "I love you, too, Lucius, but the look that you gave me...The horror in your eyes...I can't forget that..."  
"I wouldn't expect you to," Lucius replied quietly. "All I'm asking you to do is to try and forgive me."  
Morgana looked uncertain.  
"You don't have to do it now, " he said quickly, "I'll wait as long as you need."  
The young witch nodded slowly, knowing he may well change his mind once she imparted her news.  
"Why did you want to see me?" Lucius asked, suddenly remembering the owl that had arrived at Malfoy Manor early that morning, carrying the letter that had made his heart sing, and had given him hope.  
Morgana's own heart dropped into her stomach as she, too, remembered the letter she had sent him.  
"I'm pregnant."  
The words came out of nowhere, and Morgana looked around to see where they had come from. She saw Lucius staring, open-mouthed, at her, and realised they had come from her lips. Just like that, no warning, no breaking the life-changing news gently, just a bald statement of fact.  
The wizard swallowed hard. "P- pregnant?" He confirmed.  
"Yes," she breathed. "Pregnant."  
"Oh. That's..." Lucius trailed off, and Morgana could almost see the thoughts swimming around in his mind. He was weighing up the pros and cons, deciding if a baby was a positive thing given their current situation.  
"That's..?" She prompted.  
"Good. That's. Good." An unexpected smile broke out over Lucius's face. Many things had crossed his mind that morning when he'd received her letter, as to what she might want to see him about, but becoming a father again had not been one of those ideas. The thought of having a child with Morgana pleased him in a way he couldn't explain.  
Morgana nodded her head towards the Mustang, her heart was hammering on her ribcage but she said nothing more about the child she carried deep within her.  
"I'm going to take a ride."  
"Would you let me accompany you?" Lucius asked, and then another thought struck him. "Is it okay for you to ride?"  
"The nurse said it will be okay as long as the horse walks. And yes, you can come with me, but please know, this doesn't mean I've forgiven you, Lucius."  
"I understand," he replied, and he knew she was telling the truth. She hadn't forgiven him, but she had said she would try. One day, he'd make her see that her blood status was no matter to him, but for now, he was overjoyed to be back on speaking terms with her.

Draco gazed in amazement from the crest of the hill. He could make out no words but his father appeared subservient towards this woman, hanging on to her every word, looking as though he would kneel at her feet if she were but to give that command. Lucius cupped his hands to help the dark haired girl onto her horse, and then once she was settled, he had swung himself up onto the much larger tan horse standing beside them. He had followed her out of the yard and onto the expanse of grassland beyond, staying close to her side all the time.  
The younger Malfoy watched his father ride away with a sick feeling in his stomach, recalling whispered conversations over the holidays that had stopped abruptly when he'd entered rooms, the fact that he hadn't seen his father since September and how brief that meeting had been. His mother's insistence of going nowhere near London or Wiltshire over Christmas.  
And as he watched the retreating riders, Draco saw his father's hand reach across and take the girl's fingers in his own. The touch was only brief, but Draco knew then that his father was having an affair, and as he stumbled shakily back to his friends, he was determined to discover the truth behind the mystery girl with the long dark hair.


	20. Confrontation

Despite Lucius's protests, Morgana decided it would be more sensible for her to return to the village alone, so she left him at the stables and wandered across the fields. She knew he was watching her walk away, knew he was debating whether or not to follow her and demand to escort her back, but he didn't. She smiled as she realised he was trying to avoid upsetting her - in any other instance he wouldn't have taken no for an answer.  
She could still feel the touch of his lips on her fingers where he kissed them, and once she was out of sight, she pressed them against her own lips, wishing suddenly that he'd thrown caution to the wind and kissed her properly as they'd said goodbye. She'd managed to resist the temptation to throw herself into his arms as he'd tenderly taken her hand. She was still very angry with him, but that didn't change the fact that she wanted him to hold her again.  
She had been surprised at how well he appeared to take the news of her pregnancy. If she was honest, she'd been expecting him to yell, or to at least say that he didn't think it wise for them to see one another again. Perhaps he really was genuinely sorry for the pain and upset he'd caused her, Morgana thought.  
She was just over halfway back to Hogsmeade when she saw him. The young witch recognised Draco Malfoy straight away, and he was looking at her in a way that suggested trouble. She knew he was Lucius's son but that didn't stop her from gripping the handle of her wand in readiness. Draco, however, didn't pull out his wand. He stood straight, already almost as tall as she was, despite the four year age difference, his arms crossed over his chest, those grey eyes cold and menacing.  
They stared at one another levelly.  
Draco knew he had the advantage. "What's going on between you and my father?"  
"Why would anything be going on between your father and myself?"  
"I saw you with him, at the stables."  
"We just happened to both be there at the same time," Morgana said through her teeth.  
"My father has absolutely no need to come somewhere like this to ride his stupid muggle animals. He's got a entire yard full of the things at home!"  
Morgana quashed the urge to say she knew that already. "In that case, I have no idea," she said instead, making to step around Draco.  
"Don't lie...He was waiting for you!" Draco snapped.  
He whirled round to prevent her from leaving, grabbing her arm and pointing his wand at her face.  
"Leave my father alone," he warned.  
Morgana stared down the length of his wand, her black eyes burning angrily at the threat, and Draco didn't notice the subtle movement of her hand pulling her own wand from her pocket, he didn't see anything until the mahogany stick was pointing at his throat.  
"You need to talk to your father, Draco," Morgana said, keeping her voice as neutral as she could.  
"I'm talking to you."  
"There are things you need to hear from your father, not from me. Now, lower your wand, please, I don't like being threatened."  
Draco sneered. "You think you'd win against me?"  
"I know I'd win against you."  
There was an odd tone to the witch's voice, a tone that made Draco pause, and Morgana used that time to pull her arm free of his grip.  
Her wand still pointing at him, Morgana backed away slowly.  
"Talk to your father, Draco," she repeated, as she disapparated back into the village.

Draco stood alone in the meadow, his wand suddenly pointing at the empty space in front of him. He put it away slowly, considering the witch's words. What things did he need to hear from his father? And did he dare, did he actually dare, write to his father and ask what she had meant?  
The idea made him shake a little, but he knew he had to do it. Something mysterious was going on with his family at the moment, and he was determined to discover what it was.  
He was uncharacteristically subdued on the walk back to Hogwarts, his mind turning over sentences and words to use in a letter to his father. He saw the dark-haired girl with her friends, and quietly asked Pansy her name.  
Pansy Parkinson looked at her friend quizzically, "Er, Morgana D'Angelo, or something like that, I think," she said. "Why do you ask?"  
"No reason," Draco said thoughtfully, "I think her father's a colleague of my father," he lied by way of explanation.  
Pansy accepted his words and went back to chatting to Millicent Bulstrode, leaving Draco thinking of letters to his father and unpleasant ways to rid himself of Morgana D'Angelo.


	21. Notes & Letters

The moment Lucius opened his son's note, delivered by owl three days later, he knew Draco had discovered something. Firstly the letter was addressed only to him, where as the boy usually always wrote Mother first, and secondly, his tone was formal, which was again very unlike Draco - Lucius had often despaired that the child would ever be able to write a letter correctly.  
Lucius noticed his hand was shaking a little by the time he reached the final paragraph. The boy did know something, and he was demanding that his father visit him at Hogwarts to explain what was going on. Lucius sighed, knowing he'd put off this conversation for too long already, so that morning, he wrote three letters, one to Draco, telling his son he'd be at the castle that weekend, one to Narcissa, saying that he was about to tell Draco about Morgana, and the last to Morgana, asking her to be present at his meeting with his son.

Narcissa Malfoy received the letter from her husband the following afternoon, and she screwed it angrily into a ball and launched it across the room after studying its contents.  
It wasn't so much that Lucius preferred his little half-blood over her, Narcissa realised, it was more the fact she would lose all the influence she had in high society if she was no longer a Malfoy. With Regulus dead, Sirius a fugative and Bellatrix incarcerated in Azkaban, the House of Black, she knew, was on the decline. She was the only one with any standing left, and without the Malfoys behind her, Narcissa was fairly sure that would disappear.  
With that, she began to pack up her belongings, preparing to return to England.

Draco read his father's letter with apprehension. Lucius didn't sound too impressed with his son's demands, and Draco wondered briefly if he'd been too forthright with his words. No, he decided forcefully, he hadn't been. Child though he may be, whatever was going on between his father and Morgana D'Angelo was affecting himself and his mother. He deserved to know the truth.

Morgana opened her letter when she was sat alone in the owlery. She hadn't yet told her friends she was on the path to reconcilation with Lucius, knowing they'd chastise her and try to prevent it. She hated keeping it a secret from them, but since her confrontation with Draco a few days before, she knew she couldn't say anything until she had been absolutely certain in her own mind that she was ready to be with Lucius again.  
The letter she held in her hand told her that Lucius was prepared to do whatever it took to prove his love and good intentions towards her and their baby, and the knowledge made her smile. They'd talk to Draco, together, and then she'd speak to Jacq, Tilly and Liliana. She knew they'd be angry, but she knew too that they loved her dearly, and that eventually they would come round to the idea. Right now, Morgana knew she needed all the friends she could get.


	22. Narcissa's Return

Narcissa had arrived home to Malfoy Manor the day after she'd received the letter from Lucius. They'd had a very heated discussion about the sense of telling Draco about Morgana. Narcissa still firmly believed that her husband's obsession with the younger witch would be shortlived, so she was adamant that their son didn't need to know anything about his father's affair.  
Lucius insisted his feelings for Morgana were not going to disappear, and Narcissa sank onto the soft leather sofa in disbelief when her husband announced his mistress's pregnancy. How could he be so careless? Now everyone would know!  
They'd continued arguing long into the evening, with Lucius finally announcing, very firmly, that he was going to talk to Draco on Saturday morning, and with that, he'd strode from the room in exasperation.  
Narcissa had remained where she was, feeling the security of her future slipping away with each passing day. Her thoughts turned to Draco, wondering if Lucius would still feel the same way about him once this new child was born. Despite his massive expectations of the boy, she knew Lucius cared greatly for their son, and Draco had spent almost fourteen years competing with no one else for his father's attention - how was he going to deal with the news?  
When she ventured upstairs, it became apparent very quickly that Lucius was not in the bedchamber they'd once shared. Narcissa stood in the doorway of the room, looking up and down the hall, wondering if he'd left the house. She noticed a light flickering beneath a door at the far end of the hall, the door to the tower room. That must be where he was, she realised, curious as to why he'd chosen one of the smallest state rooms Malfoy Manor had to offer.  
Narcissa sighed, and closed the door behind her, climbing into bed. She laid awake in the dark, unable to contain her fears of what would become of her, where she would go, if Lucius divorced her.  
When she awoke a few hours later, one of the house elves informed her that Master had departed early that morning for Hogsmeade, and that he intended to remain there for several days, until his business was concluded.


	23. The Discussion

Severus Snape was already waiting at the enormous set of main gates that lead onto the Hogwarts grounds when a black whirlwind spun in front of him and Lucius appeared from nowhere.  
"You should be careful doing that around here, Malfoy" the potions master commented dryly. "Dumbledore has eyes everywhere, you know."  
"What did you expect me to do? Walk all the way here?" Lucius retorted testily.  
"The students have to."  
"Well, I stopped being a student a long time ago," Lucius said as Snape let him in, and secured the gates behind them.  
They wandered up the long dirt track to the castle, heads together, discussing things that shouldn't have been talked about. The pair were old friends, having met in Snape's first year at Hogwarts. It had been Lucius's final year at the school, and he'd been made a prefect that summer. He'd taken Snape under his wing, and shown him the ropes of the school, introducing him to the Blacks, and a few other friends. Possibly Lucius had seen the younger man's potential even then, despite his half-blood heritage. Their friendship had remained strong throughout the years, and it was a known fact that Snape favoured Draco Malfoy over most of the other students.  
As they reached the gravel driveway, the two men straightened up, and Lucius couldn't contain a smile as he saw Morgana ahead, standing on the front steps of the school.  
Snape glanced at his old mentor cynically. "Are you sure you know what you're doing here, Lucius?"  
Lucius glared at his friend out of the corner of his eye, the smile still on his face. "Yes, I'm sure."  
Snape simply nodded, and the pair greeted Morgana simultaneously, Lucius kissing her tenderly on the cheek, and holding her hand for a brief moment before the professor led them into the familiar reception area.  
They followed him through to an empty corridor, standing side by side on the rotating stone staircase they knew led to Albus Dumbledore's office. Snape opened the door to let them in, and stepped back onto the staircase. "I'll tell Draco you're here," he said as he disappeared from sight.  
Morgana caught hold of Lucius's hand as soon as she knew they were alone, and he looked down at her, immediately seeing the need in her gaze. He pressed his lips against hers, his arms sliding around her back. Morgana pushed herself against him, standing on tiptoes as her arms wound themselves around his neck, and they kissed deeply for a long minute before Morgana reluctantly pulled away, knowing Draco would be arriving at any moment.  
"How are you?" Lucius asked gently, his eyes glancing at her still-flat stomach.  
"I'm okay," she replied, following his eyeline. "We're okay," she corrected herself, making him smile.  
"How many weeks pregnant are you?"  
"Madam Pomfrey thinks maybe eleven or twelve, but she says I could possibly be further along than that." Morgana flushed a little at the memory of having to recount to the school nurse how many times she and Lucius had made love over the course of her stay at Malfoy Manor. It had turned out to be a figure significant enough to make the elderly nurse raise her eyebrow.  
Lucius frowned faintly at the mention of the matron.  
"I had to tell someone," Morgana shrugged, "Else I wouldn't have known."  
Lucius acquiesced without saying anything. As he opened his mouth to speak again, he was interrupted by a thumping knock at the oak door, and in strode Snape with Draco in tow.  
"I'll be downstairs, if I'm needed," the teacher said, inclining his dark head curtly and backing out once again, closing the heavy door behind him with a dull thud.  
Lucius and Morgana looked at Draco. The teenager stared back, a sneer distorting his handsome face.  
"So, Father," Draco said rudely, emboldened by the fact he knew his parent was in the wrong, "You said you have something to explain."  
Lucius glanced across at Morgana, his pale gaze hard and uncompromising once again as he looked down at his son.  
"As you're no doubt aware, your mother and I have spent the past few months apart," Lucius began cautiously. Draco's continued open stare disconcerted him a little, and Lucius realised suddenly the boy already knew precisely what was going on, he just wanted to see his father's discomfort.  
"If you know already, why did you ask me to come?" He asked, the tone of his voice sharpening noticably.  
"Because I wanted to hear it from you, Father, rather than from the gossips."  
Draco turned to Morgana. "You're rather quiet today, D'Angelo, nothing to say? Perhaps you don't wish to speak in front of someone who can see through your little deception."  
Morgana stared at him in confusion.  
"She's bewitched you. Surely you can see that now?"  
It was Lucius's turn to look astonished. "What are you talking about, Draco?"  
"She has to be an enchantress, Father, you'd never have risked the family name for a half-blood if she wasn't."  
Lucius's grey eyes narrowed. "Don't be so ridiculous."  
"Let me show you, Father," Draco begged. "Let Professor Snape test you for enchantments?"  
"Certainly not," Lucius said, his voice rising. As if the boy would even dare to suggest such a thing!  
"Why not?" Draco demanded, "If she hasn't, there's nothing to worry about."  
Lucius glared down his nose at his son. "I said no."  
Morgana had watched this exchange with concern. The conversation certainly wasn't progressing in the direction she and Lucius had hoped it would. In fact, it was the total opposite. Not only did Draco not appear to be coming round to the idea, he had openly said he believed their relationship to be a complete farce, a love brought on by an enchantment.  
"Anyway," Lucius continued, "That wasn't all we had to tell you."  
Draco looked worried suddenly - what else could his father possibly throw at him?  
"I'm pregnant, Draco," Morgana said gently, before Lucius could could say anything further.  
Draco's face when the news had sunk in was not unlike Narcissa's had been two days previously, Lucius thought. The wizard slipped an arm around Morgana's shoulders, looking at his son almost pleadingly. "I love Morgana, Draco. More than you will ever be able to understand."  
Draco's gaze hardened. "She's bewitched you," he shouted as he stormed to the door and wrenched it open, "And someday soon, I'll prove it to you!"


	24. The Hogsmeade Attack - April 1994

"She seems a little happier lately."  
"Maybe she's finally realised that she's better off without him."  
Morgana heard the muffled conversation through the bathroom door, and instinctively knew her friends were discussing her lovelife. Or lack of one, as they believed. Morgana felt guilty again. She knew she should tell them about Lucius, but after the conversation with Draco the previous month, she still wasn't ready for the inevitable arguement she knew would follow the revelation, so she stayed in the washroom, readying herself for their Hogsmeade visit.  
A fluttering deep in her womb made Morgana pause momentarily, then, deciding she had imagined it, she continued pulling her hairbrush through her glossy curls. She felt the movement again, stronger this time, and she grinned, making a mental note to send Lucius an owl later.  
He'd been very attentive over the past few weeks, more so even than usual. They'd barely seen one another, except for a few stolen moments when Snape had unlocked the gates for them, but they'd written almost every day. Morgana had trained her owl to bring her letters to the owlery instead of to the Great Hall, and she met the bird there every afternoon, staying to read whatever Lucius had sent.  
She made plenty of noise before she left the bathroom, giving her three friends time to stop their conversation about her and move on to something else.  
They walked down to the Great Hall together, very ready for a good breakfast before they began the trek down to Hogsmeade village.

"What's his problem nowadays?" Harry Potter asked in disgust, as Draco shoved past him. "He's even more obnoxious than he used to be!"  
Ron Weasley glanced around and lowered his voice a decibel or two.  
" I heard a rumour going round that he's no longer the only heir to the Malfoy fortune."  
Harry and Hermione Granger stared at their friend.  
"Narcissa's pregnant?" Hermione asked in surprise, her voice a little louder than she was expecting.  
"Sshh," Ron cautioned, looking around again. No one appeared to have overheard their conversation.  
"No. They're saying that Lucius Malfoy has gotten some young witch pregnant."  
Harry and Hermione followed Ron's eyeline over to the Ravenclaw dining table and found themselves staring at, what was her name? Morgana something, Hermione thought. Morgana D'Angelo, Harry remembered. Their gazes dropped as one to her stomach, and Hermione gasped aloud as they all saw the small but definitely visible swelling there.  
Harry looked hard for a long moment, and then he scoffed. "Nah. No way. I don't like him, but even I know Malfoy's too shrewd to get caught like that."  
Ron raised one eyebrow, saying nothing but implying everything.  
Hermione looked shocked, Harry was deep in thought, recalling things he had seen, things he had heard over the past few months. Morgana D'Angelo's frequent meetings with Dumbledore, the fact he'd seen her around less and less since they'd been back from the half term break. Whispered conversations with her friends, the names of which Harry couldn't remember.  
Ron shook his head, and crinkled his freckled nose. "You're probably right. I'm sure a wizard of Lucius Malfoy's, er, calibre could sniff out a half-blood from a mile away."  
Hermione looked round. Draco Malfoy's cold grey eyes glared back menacingly into hers.  
"Malfoy CAN hear you, you know, Ron."  
Ron replied with a wink that blatantly said he didn't care, and said, "I know."

Hands shoved deep in his pockets, Draco Malfoy strode down the hill towards Hogsmeade, his mind ferociously turning over Ron Weasley's words. Now that blood traitor was having a laugh at his expense? Draco would show them. He'd kill two birds with one stone - he'd shut Weaselbee up, and he'd break the D'Angelo girl's enchantment over his father in one fell swoop.  
As they reached the village, Draco veered off towards the copse. Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson followed him without question. They knew their friend had had something on his mind for weeks, and they all had the feeling they were about to discover exactly what it was that was bothering him.

Morgana left Liliana, Tilly and Jacq on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, telling Professor McGonagall she was heading to the stables to see Blaize. Despite Lucius insisting she shouldn't ride anymore, Morgana had demanded that he let her keep the Mustang in the stables so she could visit her equine friend on her monthly outing to the village, and to her surprise, he had agreed, as long as he was there too. Morgana had grinned when she'd read those words, and she smiled again now remembering them, as she made her way across the meadow to the Hogsmeade stables.  
Pain suddenly shooting through her left shoulder caused Morgana to gasp and clutch at her arm. She knew immediately that a curse had hit her, it was one of those types of agony that you would only know about if it happened to you, and she spun round, coming face to face with Pansy Parkinson.  
Morgana reached for her pocket to pull out her wand, but another wave of pain caught her in the leg as she did so, and the limb gave way, causing her to fall heavily to her knees.  
Her agonised screams rang out across the emptiness, echoing back, as curse after curse bombarded her body. She curled up, her arms around her stomach, desperately trying to protect the baby she carried within her, and as she fell in and out of consciousness, Morgana could make out the blurred figures of Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy laughing with glee at her writhing form.  
Finally, it stopped. Morgana's eyes rolled open just enough to see Draco step closer to her, he raised his wand, the tip pointing at her forehead. She gazed up at him, an unspoken plea in her black eyes.  
"Avada Kedav-"  
"Expelliarmus!"  
Morgana watched as Draco's wand flew from his fingers, and then mercifully, it all went black.

Lucius's fear for Morgana and their unborn child was matched only by his anger as he slowly approached his son and his small band of followers. Draco saw the piercing anger in his father's stare and stopped dead, his eyes glancing at the wand which lay ten feet away from him. Lucius carried his black cane in one hand, the other was outstretched, his wand ready to strike anyone who moved.  
The older wizard advanced slowly but defiantly, heading straight for Morgana's battered, bleeding body. He couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath as he reached her and saw the full extent of her injuries. Seeing his beautiful, bright, full of life Morgana just lying there, lifeless, affected Lucius in a way he couldn't even begin to describe, and flashes began to spark from his wand towards each of the teenagers. Crabbe and Goyle simply ran, recalling tales their parents had told them of Lucius Malfoy's skills. Pansy was either braver or more stupid, she blocked a couple of spells but gave up within seconds, knowing she was no match for her friend's father, and she too turned and fled.  
Lucius's wand was pointing straight at Draco, his hand quivering a little in his anger.  
"Get out of here," he snarled tightly at his son. "Before I do something I'll regret."  
Draco ran, snatching up his fallen wand as he went.  
Lucius fell to his knees beside Morgana's body, his fingers softly checking her pulse. Relieved to find it relatively strong, he slipped his arms beneath her, lifting her gently into his arms, his cane tucked awkwardly beneath her, and he disapparated into the centre of Hogsmeade, not caring who saw him do so. He yelled for help, and Minerva McGonagall hurried forward, her eyes widening in horror as she saw Morgana clutched in Lucius Malfoy's arms.  
She sent one of the older students apparating back to the school gates, where they burst through the school, frantically searching for Dumbledore to get him to lift the enchantment that prevented anyone from apparating into the school. That done, the student returned to Hogsmeade, and within an instant Lucius and Morgana were gone, nothing but a faint dust cloud proving they were ever there.  
Lucius didn't bother with any niceties. He apparated straight to the hospital wing, terrifying Madam Pomfrey as he suddenly appeared from the black whirlwind in the centre of the room, and as he laid Morgana gently onto the nearest bed, the door was flung open, and Dumbledore and Snape came running in.  
Lucius stepped back as the two wizards began to work on Morgana, their soothing voices not matching the pounding of his heart nor the horror in his mind, and he watched fearfully, suddenly terrified he would lose the woman he loved.


	25. Standing Watch

Despite the suspicious glances from Madam Pomfrey, the angry confrontations with Morgana's friends, who refused to accept his word that he and Morgana had rekindled their relationship, and the knowledge he had to talk to Draco, Lucius remained at Morgana's bedside day and night. Various people tried to persuade him to leave, even Albus Dumbledore himself had offered to sit and watch over Morgana, but Lucius refused, determined to stay by her side until she woke. He used a charm he'd learnt years ago to heighten the sensitivity of his hand so he could ensure the child growing in Morgana's womb was still thriving - it hurt like hell whenever he touched anything else, but for once Lucius had no thoughts for himself.  
He stayed awake, his hand resting almost continuously on her stomach, one eye on Morgana, the other on the door, as though he were almost certain his son would come bursting through it at any moment, wand brandished, ready to finish what he had started.  
A day passed, then two, and it was only on the second night when Severus Snape billowed in, demanding that his friend get some rest, that Lucius finally relented and allowed the teacher to stand watch over Morgana. He still refused to leave her though, dozing fitfully in the chair the other side of her bed, waking at every movement, every sound.  
In the early evening of the third day, Morgana started to writhe in her sleep, her legs flailing, her fingers grasping at her lower torso, and then she began to scream, high-pitched, agonised screams, exactly like the cries that had set Lucius running the day of Draco's attack on her. Even as her black eyes flew wide open, she continued to scream, pushing away the school nurse as she attempted to restrain her, clearly disorientated.  
As Morgana's terrified gaze settled on Lucius's worried face, she reached out for him, sensing safety in his arms. "Lucius!" she cried.  
The wizard caught her before she fell, holding her tight, feeling her heart hammering against his own chest. She was clutching at him, panting, trying to control her screams now, and then she gasped in horror as she had a sudden realisation. "Lucius, Draco - ".  
"I know, sweetheart," Lucius murmured as he pulled her closer, desperate to calm her, "I know."


	26. The Slytherin Common Room

The students of Slytherin house bundled through the door, and the first of them halted abruptly as they came face to face with the unfamiliar figure lounging on one of the dark green leather sofas in their common room.  
He stared haughtily at them, eyeing each one of them reflectively as they spread out in a line before him, no one wanting to be the first to make a move past him. As unfamiliar as their visitor may have been, there were few present who didn't know who he was, or why he was there.  
Draco and his little gang of friends were some of the last to arrive, and they stopped short as they came face to face with Lucius Malfoy.  
Draco was a little shocked by his father's appearance. His luxurious blond hair lacked its usual lustre, he had several days worth of stubble on his chin, dark shadows beneath his eyes, and Draco could have almost sworn that he was dressed in the same clothes he'd been wearing the day of the attack. What Lucius didn't lack, though, was presence. His father was the most confident person Draco had ever met. The way he simply sat there, holding his cane loosely in one hand, the other resting on his leg, had caused the entirety of Slytherin house to just stop. No one dared even move.  
Lucius stood up, his cloak falling perfectly around him as he did so, elegant as always.  
"Get out." The wizard commanded, and without even questioning him, the Slytherin's turned on their heels, almost falling over one another in their eagerness to leave the room. Draco remained where he was as the other students pushed past him, and he realised there was no honour amongst thieves as Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy deserted him along with everyone else.  
Within seconds, Draco was standing in the common room alone, save for his father's uncompromising form, and if the boy had been nervous before, it was nothing to how he felt in that instant. Lucius's grey-blue gaze was the coldest Draco had ever seen it, his was mouth set in a thin line across taut features, and he now gripped his cane tightly, his free hand caressing the silver serpent's head.  
"Do you know what I've spent the past three days doing?" Lucius's voice was calm and neutral. It worried Draco even more. He'd have much preferred it if his father had yelled. At least he would have known where he stood with a yell.  
Draco shook his head, trying to stop himself quivering.  
"I've been sat in the hospital wing, placing heightened sensitivity spells regularly on my hand in order to ensure your unborn brother or sister is still alive in their mother's womb."  
Draco looked down at his shoes.  
"What on earth were you thinking of by attacking Morgana?" Lucius demanded, struggling to contain his emotions. After hearing both she and the baby were both going to be okay, the young witch had pleaded with Lucius not to punish his son for his actions. At Lucius's protests she had started to panic again, becoming breathless in her anxiety, and so to keep her calm, Lucius had promised to not physically punish Draco.  
"Were you hoping to hurt me? If that's the case, you succeeded. You hurt me deeply, knowing my own son is prepared to attack the woman I love, knowing you were prepared to kill her rather than accept her into your life. Yes, that hurt a great deal."  
Lucius turned away, and Draco felt his heart drop into his stomach.  
"Father, I -", Draco began, but Lucius cut him off.  
"Please don't try and excuse what you did, Draco. You know I love her, and you tried to kill her."  
"She's got you under an enchantment or something, she must have!" Draco shouted desperately.  
"For the last time, Morgana is not an enchantress," Lucius snapped, his voice rising a little.  
"She has to be. You would never have done anything like this if she wasn't. The entire family's a laughing stock, Father!"  
"Don't be so ridiculous," Lucius yelled, finally losing his temper as three days worth of suspicious glares from Morgana's friends, no sleep and worry washed over him.  
"Then prove it," Draco challenged. "Let Snape test you for enchantments."  
Lucius was struggling to believe he was arguing with his thirteen year old son about such matters. The boy was persistant, Lucius would give him that.  
"I have nothing to prove," Lucius retorted, "But very well, have Severus perform your little test, then you will see for yourself."  
Draco sighed with relief, certain he would soon have his proof, and Morgana D'Angelo would be exposed as the conniving enchantress he believed her to be.


	27. Keep Your Friends Close

Even though they had visited her every morning and evening she had been in her coma, Morgana didn't actually see Liliana, Tilly and Jacq until the day after she had awakened. All three of them had hugged her tight, kissed her hair, rubbed her belly and told her she was never going anywhere without one or the other of them ever again. Morgana had given them a weak smile, and then Jacq's brow had furrowed, and Morgana had known what was coming.  
"Malfoy was here... He said he found you."  
"He saved me," Morgana told them. "If he hadn't have turned up when he did, I'd be dead."  
The three other girls exchanged glances.  
"Are... Are you sure he had nothing to do with it, Morgana?" Liliana asked hesitantly.  
Her friend's eyes widened in disbelief. "Of course he didn't!"  
"He told us you were back together," Jacq said quietly. "We refused to believe him, of course... You'd have told us if you'd have done something like that."  
Morgana had the grace to look guilty. "I'm sorry, you don't know how many times I wanted to tell you - how many times I tried to tell you...You just seemed so against him, and then so happy when you thought I was getting over him, that... I just couldn't tell you..." She trailed off, saddened by the looks of disgust on her friends faces.  
"Morgana, he walked out on you when he found out you're a half-blood! Like he believed he was better than you!"  
"He loves me, Jacq... He was so sorry he did that... He wrote to me, pleading with me to let him explain. And then I found out about the baby, and I knew I had to tell him, so I went to meet him, at the stables like we used to..."  
Jacq raised her eyebrow.  
"Nothing happened!... We just rode... and talked." She gazed at her best friends. "I love him," she said simply. "I always have."  
But why?" Jacq asked, concern evident on her face.  
"I don't know, Jacq... I just know that I do... I just know that I can't stop it, so there's no point in even trying to."  
"Has he cursed you?" Liliana asked suddenly.  
"What?" Morgana screeched. "No!"  
"You know he can use the Imperius Curse, Morgana... You know he knows Dark Magic."  
"He wouldn't!"  
"He would, if he needed to."  
"Lili, why are you saying this?" Morgana had tears in her eyes.  
"Because he hurt you beyond belief. He's a blood purist, Morgana - you think someone like Lucius Malfoy would forget centuries of breeding and belief for love?"  
"He has, Liliana."  
"There must be a test someone can do to see if you've been cursed. Dumbledore must know!"  
Morgana could almost hear Draco yelling, "She's bewitched you, Father!" Hearing Liliana's words was almost like stepping back in time. Just like Lucius had been, Morgana felt offended by the mere suggestion that her feelings for him were all a lie.  
"I love Lucius, Liliana. I haven't been cursed, or hexed, or given a potion, I love him."  
"Then let them test you. If you truly love him, we'll support you through thick and thin, and we'll never question it again."  
"You shouldn't be questioning it anyway, but fine, I'll do your test. I'll prove to you that our love is true."  
Liliana looked triumphant, certain that Morgana would soon see the proof of Lucius Malfoy's betrayal.  
Tilly gazed at Morgana. Her friend's black eyes gleamed with defiance.  
"I'll speak to Dumbledore," Liliana said quietly.  
"Fine. I'll tell Lucius. He should be there, too."  
Liliana didn't like the idea but she knew it was only fair.  
"We love you, Morgana. We're only doing this because we want what's best for you and the baby."  
Morgana inclined her head, sad that she had to prove herself to the three friends she would happily call sisters, but knowing that she had no choice if she wanted their full support. In times such as this, it was important to keep ones friends close.


	28. Curses & Enchantments

Two long weeks later, Madam Pomfrey finally agreed to discharge Morgana from her care, but she insisted that the young witch could not return to school life just yet. Lucius wanted her to return to Malfoy Manor with him, but upon hearing of Narcissa's return, Morgana was less than happy about the idea. And even if she had have been willing, Liliana, Tilly and Jacq would have fought to the death to prevent their friend going anywhere with Lucius Malfoy before she had been tested for curses.  
Those tests were happening on the coming Saturday. Dumbledore and Snape had reluctantly agreed to perform them on Morgana and Lucius respectfully, and they had decided to do them at the same time, in the headmaster's office.  
Morgana's three friends were surprised to see Draco Malfoy already leaning against the wall which concealed the rotating staircase that led to Dumbledore's office, but once the four had sniped at each other for several minutes, it quickly became apparent that they were all there for the same reason, and that they were all hoping for the same results, thus there was a certain camaraderie between them as they filed into the headmaster's office a few minutes later.  
Albus Dumbledore was seated at his vast desk. Lucius and Morgana were stood close together, his head bent low towards hers. She was smiling up at him, and Tilly noticed a warmth she'd never seen before in the elder Malfoy's gaze as he spoke to her friend. Not for the first time since the tests had been decided upon, Tilly had a feeling that Liliana and Jacq, and obviously Draco too, were not going to get their wish. The pretty Scot was fairly certain that Morgana D'Angelo and Lucius Malfoy were exactly what they had claimed to be all along - two people in love. Wisely, though, she held her tongue, promoting the appearance of unity between herself and her friends.  
Severus Snape swept through the headmaster's office door, his black cloak following as though it were a physical part of him, and Dumbledore rose stiffly, turning to Morgana and Lucius, who sensed the elderly professor's bright gaze on them.  
Morgana's fingers slipped into Lucius's hand, and he squeezed them reassuringly, his pale eyes saying what his lips could not.  
Fingers still entwined, the couple stepped forward, each setting their wands aside for the duration of the tests. Dumbledore gestured that the girls follow him to the rear section of the room, and Snape stayed in the main office area with Lucius and Draco, drawing the curtain behind the headmaster.

Thirty minutes later, having each been doused with water from the Thief's Downfall, hypnotised, and questioned profusely, the purple brocade curtains were drawn back, and Morgana faced Lucius once more.  
Liliana, Jacq and Draco stood in a line, arms folded, their expressions grim. Tilly stood a little apart from them, desperately wanting her prediction to be correct.  
"How do you feel?" Snape asked Lucius, in his usual deadpan tone, despite the fact that he was as anxious as everyone else to know the full results of their tests.  
Lucius Malfoy stared long and hard at Morgana, trying to read the signs in her smouldering eyes, and then he took a deep breath, and questioned quietly, "Ever yours?"  
"Always."


	29. Back To The Manor

It has taken Lucius several days, and every ounce of charm he possessed, to persuade Morgana into accompanying him back to Malfoy Manor. She'd been refusing so stubbornly that eventually he'd resorted to using their unborn child's safety as an excuse to get her back there, and so, despite massive misgivings on Morgana's part, and doubt on everyone else's, the young witch found herself standing outside the school gates clutching Lucius's hand as he readied himself to apparate away.  
Liliana and Jacq stood side by side, concern clear on their faces. They had remained loyal their word. After the results of Dumbledore's tests had proved negative for curses, they had pledged their support to Morgana's relationship with Lucius, albeit grudgingly, but that didn't stop them worrying about her. Draco, too, was there to say goodbye to his father. He'd been far less accepting of the test results, convinced that Morgana's enchantment had somehow remained undetected, and that Lucius was asking for trouble in taking Morgana back to their home now Narcissa was there.  
That, of course, was Morgana's only true concern. She felt a certain amount of shame that Lucius had broken his family up on her behalf, even though she knew it had been his decision to do so. Beyond a few nights of dancing, and the intense feelings that had taken hold of their hearts, nothing had happened between them before he'd made that decision, but Morgana still felt incredibly guilty. And to that end, she wasn't looking forward to meeting Lucius's wife. What if she tried to finish what Draco had started? Had Lucius even considered that?  
As it happened, Lucius had considered the possibility that Narcissa might try to harm Morgana, but he had already enchanted the tower room where Morgana would be staying so that no one besides Morgana, he himself and Wicky the house elf could even enter it, let alone spring any surprise curses or hexes in there. And any time she needed or wanted to be out of the room, Lucius swore to himself that he would be at her side.  
The black wrought iron gates were exactly as Morgana remembered them, enormous and imposing. She and Lucius appeared on the outside of them mere seconds after apparating away from Hogwarts, and that was the first glimpse Narcissa Malfoy caught of her husband's mistress.  
Even having known that Morgana was still of school age, Narcissa hadn't quite registered, until that very moment, how young her rival was. She was little more than a child, and all at once Narcissa felt an overwhelming wave of compassion and disappointment. How could this girl know what she was getting into? Narcissa knew how charismatic her husband could be when he wanted to, but had he really managed to keep it up for all of these months? How long had it been now, a year? Had Morgana D'Angelo truly never seen Lucius's cruelty? Narcissa supposed she hadn't, or Morgana surely wouldn't have agreed to come here.  
She watched as the gates evaporated momentarily and then reappear once Lucius and Morgana were inside the grounds.  
Holding her head high, Narcissa made her way to the marble staircase, and Lucius saw her as he walked through the heavy oak door behind Morgana. Their eyes met, and there was a warning in the wizard's pale gaze. Narcissa ignored it and stepped elegantly down the stairs, momentarily enjoying the nervousness in Morgana's eyes as they caught sight of one another.  
Narcissa could see immediately how Lucius's head had been turned by the younger witch. Even at seventeen, the girl oozed sensuality, her slender but shapely form only enhanced by the prominant swell of her pregnancy, and her black, thickly lashed eyes seemed to promise so very much. She was stunning.  
Narcissa held out her hand towards Morgana, and Lucius stared at it as though it would harm Morgana the moment it touched her.  
Morgana's head rose, just a little, almost in defiance, and she gripped Narcissa's hand firmly as they shook a greeting.  
"Mrs. Malfoy."  
"Miss D'Angelo."  
No further words were necessary, but an unspoken understanding passed between the two witches. It was one that said, you don't have to like me, but you need to accept I'm here to stay, regardless of what you do.  
Lucius saw the look, and although he didn't understand it, he sensed an uneasy alliance had formed between his mistress and his wife. Whether that would prove to be a good or a bad thing, only time would tell.


	30. The Oak Tree

For the next few days, Morgana barely saw Narcissa at all. They would meet in a corridor ocassionally, and greet one another with a curt nod of the head, but otherwise their paths didn't cross at all. Morgana felt rather claustrophobic at times with Lucius insisting on accompanying her wherever she went. Unless she was in the bedchamber she shared with him, he was with her at all times. She understood his reasons, but that didn't make it any less annoying to her. She was fairly certain it was the pregnancy that was making her feel the way she did. Lucius's constant presence around her had never irritated her in the past, and generally she still adored being with him. The weather was warming up, and he was finally allowing her to take short walks around the grounds.  
The Malfoy estate was amazing in the spring time. Even though the Manor itself, although beautiful, always appeared dark and forbidding, the vast expanse of land around it dazzled with colour. There was one small wooded area, close to the stream, that Morgana loved in particular. An enormous oak tree's tremendous branches swept dozens of feet in the air above their heads, the sunlight already dappling the soft floor through the young leaves, and the ground was covered with bluebells, almost as far as the eye could see.  
Morgana and Lucius spent a lot of time sat beneath the oak, with him leaning against it and her curled in the crook of his arm, just talking. Although their passionate debates hadn't abated altogether, they had become less frequent of late. Morgana still got distressed very easily, Lucius had noticed, and so to keep from upsetting her, he avoided topics that were likely to provoke a rush of emotion, settling for safer conversations such as ones about the baby she was carrying, their future, snippets of gossip from the Ministry of Magic.  
She still had nightmares about the attack, too. At least every other night Lucius was woken by the sounds of her screams, her writhing body tucked into the fetal position, and it broke his heart to see her that way. Once he'd finally managed to wake her, she would cling to him, sobbing, as he stroked her hair and promised her she was safe, that he would always be there to protect her.  
One warm afternoon in late May, they were sat under their oak tree, and Morgana was tucked up against him, dozing peacefully, having had a particularly violent nightmare in the early hours of the morning. Having nothing else to do, Lucius was thumbing through her discarded volume of Dangerous & Mythical Creatures, when he suddenly felt eyes on him.  
He glanced down to see Morgana's black gaze staring at him from the crook of his arm. She had a look in her eyes that he'd not seen for several weeks now, and his body jolted a little as it realised exactly what look it was.  
Lucius bent his head down to hers, and they both gasped quietly as their lips softly met. It wasn't that he hadn't kissed her since they'd been back at the Manor, but it was certainly the first time they had kissed with such need and desire. It only remained tender for a few moments, and then Morgana knelt up, Lucius following her so they were facing one another. Their lips met again, hungry this time, and her fingers were tangled in his hair, his arms around her back, pulling her close, feeling the gentle swell of her growing belly between them.  
His fingers caught the red silk laces of her bodice, and he tugged gently. The ribbon didn't put up even the slightest of fights, and the deep V of her cleavage was exposed immediately. Lucius's head dropped and he pressed butterfly kisses over the tops of her breasts, silently trying to decide if they were larger now than they had been last time he had touched them. He quickly decided that it was a distinct possibility.  
When he peered up at her, Morgana's head had rolled back a little, so he kissed across her chest and ran the tip of his tongue lightly up her throat, catching her lips again when he reached them. By then, she'd found the serpentine buttons on his jacket, and was slowly easing them open as she kissed him, pulling the lapels apart once she'd finished, to start on his shirt buttons. Her fingers splayed across his bare chest, trailing down to the waistband of his trousers, pressing against the solid muscles of his stomach, and she swallowed his moan of satisfaction as she flicked open the fastenings of his trousers and slipped her hand inside.  
Lucius's hands slid down and cupped her buttocks, pulling her closer still, and then he used his fingers to inch her gown upwards, finally able to wrap his hands around her smooth thighs. Morgana shuddered delicately when his thumb grazed over the sensitive nub of flesh between her legs, and Lucius sank backwards, pulling her gently down with him. She ended up laying next to him and he rolled onto his side, his fingers sliding into her, as her hands worked their own brand of magic on him.  
It didn't take many moments before Morgana's legs began to quiver, and Lucius felt her body tighten around his fingers as she gasped, and moaned, and quickly sucked in breaths. Then she grabbed him and pulled him so he reared over her, guiding him towards the tight opening between her thighs, and they both groaned as his body entered hers, knowing that it had been too long since they had last made love, knowing that they would never be able to willingly leave it that long again.  
Lucius leant down to kiss Morgana again as his body pumped itself into her, and he just managed to stop himself collapsing on top of her as he would usually have done, instead rolling over and pulling her close, murmuring his approval of her return to Malfoy Manor.  
Morgana smiled against his torso, knowing she'd never felt happier than she did in that moment.


	31. Disowned - June 1994

The house elf showed Antoinette D'Angelo to Lucius's study, where the stately matron swept into the room without knocking.  
Lucius, sat at his desk along the back wall, looked up in annoyance at the intrusion, his heart jumping unpleasantly when he saw who stood in front of him.  
"Madame D'Angelo," he said tightly, forcing a sickly smile onto his face as he rose from his chair to greet Morgana's great-aunt.  
The elderly witch didn't waste time with niceties. "I heard on the grapevine that my niece was attacked in Hogsmeade last month."  
Lucius opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off.  
"Imagine my surprise when I was told your son was responsible!"  
Lucius's surprise must have shown in his face - how could the woman even possibly have known? He himself had told no one, Morgana had refused to even confirm to Dumbledore who her attacker was, and Severus Snape had sworn he would never speak of it again. Yet here was the D'Angelo matriarch, stood, bold as brass, in his study, demanding he admit Draco's responsibility!  
"Madame, I'm not sure where you've come by such information, but I assure you that there's absolutely no truth to that," Lucius lied.  
"According to my sources, that is exactly the truth, Mr. Malfoy, and I wish to know what you're going to do about it?" Antoinette said crisply.  
Lucius was desperately trying to resist the urge to blast the elderly witch from his home, and he was only succeeding by reminding himself she was Morgana's great-aunt. If he were honest, he'd never been able to stand the woman, only attending her soirees and gatherings the previous year because, inevitably, Morgana was there. Now, despite the fact that he didn't have to put himself through that anymore, he was still making a controlled effort to be pleasant to her for Morgana's sake. It was almost painful for him.  
"I'm sure it was just a lover's tiff," Antoinette was continuing, "But you need to make your son see that one can't just go about cursing people who upset him!"  
Lucius's lower jaw almost hit his desk. The woman still believed Morgana was dating Draco! What cave had she been living in for the past year, he wondered, to have completely missed society gossiping about his relationship with her great-niece? Oh, well, if she still thought that, who was he to disillusion her?  
"I'll talk to him, see if I can get to the bottom of what happened, hmm?" Lucius's blue eyes widened guilessly as he asked the question, and Great-Aunt Antoinette looked as though she were about to accept his words. Then she turned around, looked about the room and all hell broke loose.

 

Morgana had woken late that morning after a peaceful night's sleep, and had taken a leisurely shower, letting the jets of steaming water ease the now seemingly permanent dull ache in her lower back and hips. She'd just sat down at her dressing table wrapped in several towels when she heard a shrill, familiar voice from below.  
The young witch quickly dried her hair with her wand, and selected a simple purple velvet gown with long sleeves and a cowl neckline. It fitted all the contours of her blossoming figure beautifully, and Morgana was pleased with the effect. For the first time in days she ventured out of her bedchamber without Lucius by her side, enjoying the freedom momentarily as she skipped barefoot down the stairs, following the sound of raised voices to Lucius's study.  
Wicky stood not far from the closed door, and Morgana stepped beside her, looking quizzically down at the house elf.  
Wicky glanced around. "It's your Great-Aunt Antoinette, Miss Morgana...She came asking about the attack on you in Hogsmeade, and now she's seen something or other that's made her very angry!"  
Morgana considered Wicky's words for a moment, wondering what on earth there could be in Lucius's study that would cause such colourful array of words to pass her great-aunt's lips, and then she gasped as she remembered what they'd spent the afternoon doing two days previously.  
All of a sudden, Morgana knew life was never going to be the same.

 

Antoinette D'Angelo didn't consider herself to be a prude, but she couldn't help feeling rather shocked that Malfoy had a portrait of a half naked woman above his fireplace. She had only glanced at it, but she could see the room in the painting was the same room she was now stood in, and that the woman seated in the chair most certainly wasn't Narcissa.  
Who the painting was actually of registered excruciatingly slowly with Antoinette, so slowly that Lucius could see it happening. The elderly witch had made it almost to the door before she swept back to look at it again, and her stare, when she turned to look at him, was an open mixture of anger, horror and disgust.  
He gazed back levelly, taking a brief satisfaction in the fact he'd managed to render the old witch speechless, before he realised the implications of what she'd just seen.  
Antionette exploded, hurling words she didn't even realise she knew at Lucius Malfoy. He still stood behind his desk, his cane now in his hand as she continued to insult him, and his entire family bloodline, and then she drew her wand furiously. Lucius's own wand was freed from the cane and pointed directly at Antoinette before the witch had even straightened her arm.  
They faced one another, and Antoinette missed the deadly gleam in her adversary's eyes.  
"What's going on?" She rasped.  
"I would have thought that much was obvious."  
"Did you hex her to get her to pose?"  
Lucius couldn't help but feel rather offended that yet another person felt he would have to curse Morgana in order for her to have anything to do with him.  
"Does she look cursed to you?" He asked sharply, his voice even more clipped than usual.

 

And that was how Morgana found them when she burst through the study door. They both glanced at her worried expression. It wasn't quite the family reunion she had been hoping for, her great aunt had her wand pointed straight at Lucius's head, and in turn Lucius held his cane in front of him, his wand outstretched in front of him, trained on Antoinette's portly frame.  
Antoinette's gaze ran over her niece, relieved to discover she truly did appear unharmed, her next thought was what was Morgana was doing here, and then she did a double-take as she caught sight of Morgana's abdomen. Her eyes widened in realisation, and she immediately sent a curse flying in Lucius's direction. He deflected it expertly, and sent the wand flying from the witch's hand.  
"How dare you come into my house and throw curses at me!"  
His blue eyes burned brighter than Morgana had ever seen, and it made her nervous for her aunt's safety. Morgana stepped towards the older witch.  
"Aunt Antoinette - ".  
"You're pregnant." It wasn't a question, merely a disappointed, angry statement of fact, and Morgana's hand went at once to her belly.  
"Yes."  
"And I suppose my assumption that this...this...creature...is the brat's father, is correct?"  
Morgana's black eyes flashed with warning. Lucius saw it. Antoinette saw it.  
"Lucius is my baby's father, yes," Morgana confirmed tightly.  
Antoinette shook her head disapprovingly. "Stupid, stupid girl," she muttered. "Who's going to marry you now?"  
A look of confusion crossed Morgana's face. Her Great-Aunt had just discovered she was one half of an affair that had been gossiped about in society before it had even begun, and that she was clearly pregnant, and all the woman was worried about was marrying her off?  
"I am."  
Lucius didn't even realise he'd said anything until the eyes of both women swivelled to look at him in surprise.  
"I am," he repeated, collecting his rattled thoughts, "It may take a while, but Morgana and I will be married as soon as possible."  
Antoinette looked affronted. "Never!" she stated.  
"Really?" Morgana asked.  
"Yes, really." Lucius smiled at her, a smile filled with warmth and love, ignoring Antoinette, and Morgana strode to his side, taking the cane from his outstretched hand, and rising onto tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He looked down at her and wrapped his arm tenderly around her shoulders.  
"Morgana, get your things, we're leaving. Now." Antoinette's tone brooked no arguement.  
"I'm not leaving, Aunt Antoinette," Morgana said, pushing herself closer to Lucius.  
"You are," Antoinette said curtly.  
Morgana shook her head.  
"Think of your parents, girl. How will they be able to hold their heads up in society? Their daughter, the homewrecker."  
Morgana sucked in a breath, and risked a glance up at Lucius. He was glaring stonily at Antoinette.  
"Morgana hasn't 'wrecked' anything," he said. "Narcissa was aware of my feelings for Morgana long before this - " He placed a protective hand on Morgana's stomach "- happened."  
"You think society will care about that?" Antoinette scoffed.  
"To be honest, I don't really care."  
Morgana knew Lucius did indeed care very much about what other people, society in particular, thought of him, and she felt a rush of gratefullness that he would pretend not to be concerned about it for her.  
"I love Lucius, Aunt Antoinette," Morgana said pleadingly.  
Antoinette snorted. "Society won't care about that either. Now get your things."  
"I'm not leaving, Aunt Antoinette," Morgana said forcefully.  
Antoinette stared hard at her great-niece for a long, long moment, her gaze darkening. "If you will not leave with me now, there will no longer be a place for you in this family."  
Morgana's eyes widened in shock, and then she looked sadly at her aunt, the woman who had schooled her, taught her, escorted her into upper class society. The woman who had loved her.  
"Very well," Morgana faltered, as tears began to slide silently down her cheeks. "So be it."  
Lucius looked down at Morgana, worry etched into those handsome features. "Morgana - " he began.  
She caught his hand tightly.  
"So be it," she repeated.  
Antoinette had known how stubborn her niece was, and she was already half-regretting the rash decision, but anger overtook her again as she watched Morgana's gaze leave her face and look lovingly into Lucius Malfoy's.  
So, the girl thought the Malfoy family was better than her own, did she?  
"Don't try and contact any of us again, Morgana."  
And with that, Antoinette D'Angelo turned on her heel and was gone, pausing only to retrieve her fallen wand as she swept from the room, the house and Morgana's life.


	32. Summer - June-August 1994

Following Aunt Antoinette's disownment of her, Morgana's health took a downward turn so she ended up not returning to Hogwarts that year. Lucius spent much of his free time tutoring her, and Morgana sat her end of year exams at Malfoy Manor, under the watchful eye of Severus Snape. She passed, as she always did, with flying colours, and as soon as the exams were over, she and Lucius began to truly enjoy the summer.  
With the warmer weather and longer days, Morgana's nightmares began to slowly wane, even though Draco was now back at the Manor, and she no longer feared going to bed. The child within her took much of her energy, but she still managed her daily wander, (or rather waddle, in her case) around the estate, and she and Lucius spent much time lounging under their oak tree by the stream. The bluebells had gone, replaced by a fragrant carpet of velevty moss that wasn't quite as pretty but infinitely more comfortable to Morgana's aching body.  
By the time August came around, Morgana was eight months pregnant and feeling it. She took it all in her stride, but she had reached the stage where she wished daily that each day would be the day her labour would begin, and went to bed each night hoping the same thing.  
Despite ignoring her, Morgana was pleased to see that Draco was making an effort to be pleasant to Lucius, even though she knew it was for selfish reasons... Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, had invited Lucius to join him in the minister's box for the Quidditch World Cup which was taking place at the end of the month between Ireland and Bulgaria, and Draco was hoping that Lucius would take him along.  
Morgana knew several of her friends would also be going. Liliana would be there with bells on, supporting her brother, Viktor, along with Tilly, who'd had a not-so-secret crush on the Bulgarian seeker for as long as they could all remember. Liliana's regular letters had listed the names of others who were attending, and Morgana recognised many of them. Lucius had scoffed disdainfully when Morgana had read out the Weasley family's name from Liliana's note. Arthur Weasley's name was always spoken in a contemptuous tone at Malfoy Manor, Morgana had noticed.  
Still, the fact that Fudge had invited Lucius along had made him very happy. For one thing, it meant if Aunt Antoinette had made a public fuss over his relationship with Morgana, no one had taken any notice, and secondly, he would get the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the world's rich and famous, which was something Lucius took great pleasure in.  
If he was honest, Lucius was a little disppointed to be leaving Morgana behind, although he understood why it was best that she stay at the Manor. He would have adored the chance to attend such an important event with her on his arm, watching her dazzle all those foreign dignitaries, but alas, it was almost her due date and a stadium that held over 100,000 people would not be an ideal place for her to be, so at her suggestion, Lucius decided to take Draco along. The boy was clearly desperate to go, but hadn't actually outright asked to accompany his father. Draco had accepted the offer very graciously in front of Lucius and Morgana, but they both heard him yell, "YES!" once he was outside of the study door.

The morning of the World Cup arrived, and Lucius was suddenly reluctant to leave Morgana's side. The witch wondered briefly if his change of heart had anything to do with the owl he had received that morning, but in the end she didn't get time to ask him as Draco was rushing around asking him every five minutes as to whether it was time to leave yet.  
Lucius cupped Morgana's cheek and kissed her tenderly before he left, placing a gentle hand on her belly, telling the bump quietly to not go anywhere until he got back, and then he and Draco were gone, but Morgana couldn't quite ignore the anxiety in his gaze as he waved goodbye.


	33. Terror At The Quidditch World Cup - 25th August 1994

Lucius's hands trembled as he twisted off the white gold and emerald ring Morgana had given him for Christmas. He held it between his fingers, and the light caught it, glinting around the raven and the serpent. He hadn't ever taken it off since that day, so this was the first time he'd really studied it in detail. The detail on the animals was exquisite, right down to the tiny, tiny feathers around the raven's eyes. Lucius wondered if Morgana had had it made especially, deciding she must have done...unless in years gone by there had been another illicit Ravenclaw/Slytherin relationship? He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of thoughts of Morgana. She would be devastated if she knew what he was about to do, and that knowledge was making him not want to have any part of it...He couldn't tell anyone that, though, so he didn't really see that he had any choice in the matter. He'd just stay to the back and try not to participate too much.  
At a rap on the heavy door behind him, Lucius jumped half a foot in the air, and hurriedly tucked the ring down into the drawer beside the two others he always wore, as Goyle pushed his way into the room.  
Lucius took one last look in the mirror, seeing reluctance clearly on his face, and hoping nobody else would notice it, and then he followed Goyle out into the corridor and down the stairs. They were the last to arrive, and Lucius suddenly considered that maybe Goyle had been sent to fetch him. The scent of anticipation was heavy in the air, and Lucius felt even more out of place, wondering if his unwillingness was that obvious.  
Draco was sat over in the far corner, his blue eyes gleaming, slightly jealous that he was too young to join his father and the other members of the Inner Circle in the fun and games that had been planned for that evening. Watching the Quidditch World Cup had been alright, but this was going to be so much better! He'd seen Potter, Granger and the Weaselbee family lurking about, and he was almost certain they were still at the campsite. He made a note to ask Lucius to find Granger - she was a mudblood, after all, she deserved everything she got!

"Death Eaters!"  
It was a truly amazing sight, Lucius thought to himself, watching over eighty thousand people scurry for their lives. All around them, tents were burning, and wizards and witches of all ages were diving for cover as the enormous crowd of masked figures roamed through the campsite, searching out muggle-borns and half-breeds. Dolohov had even managed to find a muggle family, and a small group of Death Eaters were levitating them around, flipping the horrified woman upside down in mid-air, laughing hysterically as her nightdress fell over her face.  
Lucius kept trying to distance himself from the others, whilst making a determined effort to look like he was particpating joyously. It was harder than it looked, he realised, as he set his twentieth canvas tent on fire.  
Draco was lurking nearby, keeping an eye out for Hermione Granger, no doubt, Lucius thought, as three terrified people backed away from him in alarm.  
That was when Lucius caught sight of someone familiar. He looked haughtily into the hazel eyes of Liliana Krum, who was staring at him almost in recognition, in spite of the pointed black hood that covered his entire face. Could she really know it was him, Lucius wondered, panic welling in his chest.  
Their gaze was broken as a green glow suddenly lit up the sky, and Lucius watched as a green skull with a snake slithering from its mouth appeared large and prominant against the darkness of the night.  
The Dark Lord's mark!  
All around him, Lucius could hear the popping sound of ministry officials apparating into the woods, and he could see fellow Death Eaters vanishing in small black whirlwinds. He followed them without hesitation, disapparating back to the wooden lodge on the other side of the stretch of trees. Draco was already there, congratulating several people on a brilliant show.  
Lucius ripped the hooded mask from his head, and stalked up the stairs back to the room where he'd changed, forgetting that he was supposed to have had fun. He bundled the long black robes up and hurled them into a corner, disgusted with himself for betraying Morgana's trust, feeling like he didn't even want to go home because he was sure she would guess he had been involved.  
His hands shook violently as he returned her ring to his finger, and he grabbed his cane from the corner of the room, almost running back down the stairs, calling for Draco to follow him. The other Death Eaters raised their eyebrows at his quick departure, but they said nothing - it was a well-known fact that Lucius Malfoy had denied being one of them after the First Wizarding War, and very few of them trusted him at all.

Lucius and Draco arrived home several minutes later, apparating into the reception hall of Malfoy Manor without warning, making several house elves shriek in surprise.  
They were met by the sound of screaming, an all too familiar terrifed scream that sent Lucius running up the stairs faster than he'd ever run in his life.  
Narcissa was stood at Morgana's open bedchamber door, and she glanced back at him with worried eyes as he charged down the corridor towards the tower room. As he reached the doorway and saw Morgana, his heart wrenched in his chest. She was curled up in a fetal position in the centre of the bed, clutching her belly, her black unseeing eyes wide with fear, and the most heartrending cries were coming from her mouth.  
Wicky the elf stood beside the bed, desparately shouting Morgana's name, trying to get the young witch to awaken, but it was clearly to no avail.  
Lucius pushed through the gaggle of elves and Narcissa, and reached the bed in three strides, grabbing Morgana's shuddering form and pulling her into his arms, softly calling out her name, letting her know he was here, that she was safe, that nothing was going to hurt her.  
He knew it was a nightmare, and he knew too that this was the worst one she'd ever had. He wondered how long she had been laying here like this, far longer than it would usually have taken for him to wake up, he guessed miserably.  
It took several minutes for her to wake and realise he was there, and then she clung to him for the rest of the night, sobbing quietly against his chest, and Lucius felt his guilt doubling tenfold. "I should have been here, I could have prevented this if I had have been", he berated himself, and he made a silent promise that he wouldn't attend another Death Eater rampage as long as he lived. Not whilst he had Morgana to take care of. She and the child she carried were his priority now, no matter what.


	34. Newspapers & Visitors

Lucius watched in horror as a large group of Death Eaters slowly surrounded Morgana, and then he realised he himself was advancing towards her, his wand stretched out in front of him, a smirk on his lips as a spark flew from his wand and hit her in the middle of her forehead, and then the other Death Eaters joined in, grinning as more and more curses began to bombard the dainty figure kneeling on the ground in the centre of the loose circle of men.  
She cried out over and over as each fresh curse battered her body, and Lucius saw her bleeding hand reach out towards him, her black eyes pleading with him to help her, to protect her, and he laughed at her, licking his lips and raising his wand so it pointed directly in her face.  
He crouched down in front of her.  
"I'm going to kill you," he told her lightly, pulling the pointed hood from his head so his view wasn't inhibited by it. Her eyes widened as she realised that he meant it, that she was going to die, and he caressed her cheek with a gloved hand, the leather smooth against her skin, and then he stood up, smiling down at her.  
"Avada Kedavra!"  
He sighed in satisfaction as the light in her eyes immediately went out, and he shook off her hand that had fallen onto his boot when she had pitched forward as he'd delivered the fatal blow, turning to move onto the next victim...

"Lucius!"  
The wizard's eyes flew open in panic, and he began sucking in short, deep breaths, staring around in confusion, his gaze eventually coming to rest on the figure sat beside him on the bed. Her black eyes were full of concern, and he finally realised he'd just been trapped in his own nightmare.  
He sank back onto the pillows, his breathing still shaky, his blond hair clinging damply to his face and neck, and he fumbled around for Morgana's hand, pulling her roughly against him once he'd found it. She curled up awkwardly against him, worry still clear on her face as she looked up at him. He'd looked so frightened when he'd woken, Morgana thought, never guessing the reason behind it.  
It took Lucius several long minutes to compose himself to a point where he felt he could speak without his voice wavering, and even then, it seemed, to him, that he sounded more high-pitched than usual.  
"How are you this morning?" He asked.  
"I'm... fine," Morgana said, her eyebrows drawing together delicately into a frown at the brush off of his own apparent bad dream. "What was all that about?"  
"It was nothing." Lucius shook his head and attempted a smile to prove to her that he was fine. Morgana didn't seem convinced. "It must be time for breakfast?" he continued quickly.  
Morgana nodded, concern still clear on her face. "Yes, it is."  
"Let's go, then," Lucius said with a forced brightness. In his head he could still see her hand reaching for him, the sad plea in her eyes as he'd told her he was going to kill her. He shook the memory away as he reached for his clothes, and he squeezed Morgana's hand as they walked down the stairs together, heading for the dining room.

"Are you sure it was him?" Jacq asked urgently.  
"Not a hundred percent, no... I could only see his eyes after all," Liliana said, "But the way he stopped, the way he looked at me when he saw me staring at him..."  
Jacq looked disappointed that her friend had nothing more conclusive to offer.  
Tilly sat apart from them, trying to ignore the conversation that was taking place. She knew they were scheming, hoping to find a way to end Morgana's relationship with Lucius, and if she were honest, she wanted no part of it. It seemed that she alone could see their friend's love for the wizard, and his for her.  
"Do you think we should tell her?"  
"I feel we should at least tell her we have suspicions."  
"No!" Tilly butted in angrily. "She's two weeks from her due date, you cannot go upsetting her with wild accusations about Lucius!"  
"Morgana deserves to know, Tilly."  
"Then wait until after she's given birth," the blonde haired Scot said firmly.  
Liliana and Jacq gazed at her seriously, silently debating whether or not to heed Tilly's warning.

'Terror at the Quidditch World Cup'  
As soon as Lucius saw the headline emblazoned on the front page of the Daily Prophet, he wished he'd had the opportunity to hide the newspaper before Morgana saw it, but unfortunately for him, she had already noticed the headline so that was out of the question.  
Lucius saw Morgana glance over at him once she'd read the entire story, and he avoided meeting her gaze, paying great attention to the slice of toast he was buttering.  
"Lucius?" she said quietly.  
"Yes, Morgana?"  
"Did you have anything to do with this?"  
Lucius stared at her from the corner of his eye, wondering if she could read his mind. The only time Morgana had ever mentioned the fact she thought he was a Death Eater had been all those months ago, at the May Day Dance. She'd never breathed a word of her suspicions since.  
"No," he lied steadily. "No, I had nothing to do with it."  
They vaguely heard Draco choke of the mouthful of orange juice he'd just swigged, and Narcissa's chair scrape back as she hurried from the room, but their gaze held firm.  
"Okay," Morgana accepted eventually, breaking their open stare and going back to her breakfast.  
Lucius played with his toast for a few more minutes and then pushed it away, suddenly feeling nauseaous. He'd never lied to Morgana before, not ever... There had been things he hadn't admitted to, but he'd never outright lied to her. He didn't like the feeling at all, and it strengthened his resolve to never attend another riot again.

Lucius spent the remainder of that day glued to Morgana's side, and they cuddled up together in bed that night, talking until the early hours, both almost fearing going to sleep in case those nightmares returned, and the following day Lucius had to return to work at the Ministry. Narcissa was taking Draco to London for school supplies, so Morgana and the house elves were left alone.  
The young witch and Wicky wandered leisurely around the Malfoy estate, stopping at the stables for a while to say hello to Blaize and Amadeus. The horses whinnied softly when they saw her, and nuzzled Morgana's neck when she offered them the apples she had procured from the breakfast table. The mare and the stallion were stabled together now, having found their own form of companionship in each other.

When Morgana and the house elf arrived back at the manor, she found Liliana and Jacq waiting nervously for her in the drawing room. As they always did when they saw her, the two witches looked Morgana over to ensure she was being well-treated, and they stood back when they saw her, sufficently satisfied.  
Morgana smiled at her friends, inviting them to sit as she lowered her tired body into the cool softness of the leather sofa, feeling it moulding around her lovingly.  
Liliana perched opposite Morgana, Jacq continued to stand where she was.  
"How are you both?" Morgana enquired. "Why did you come?"  
Liliana and Jacq exchanged an encouraging look, and Liliana took a deep breath.  
"Morgana, I think I saw Lucius at the riot at the World Cup."  
Morgana's heart sank. "What?"  
Liliana nodded. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you."  
Morgana couldn't help thinking that neither of her friends looked very apologetic, but she didn't say that to them.  
"Tell me."  
"I'm not certain, but a Death Eater stopped in front of me, stared straight at me, and did nothing...His eyes..."  
Morgana shook her head, not at Liliana, but trying to push her own suspicions to one side. She heaved herself out of the depths of the sofa and began to pace around the room...Had Lucius lied to her? Had he actually looked her in the eye and lied?  
There was only one way to find out, she decided, and strode from the room, heading for the dining room's fireplace. She stepped into it and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder.  
"Ministry of Magic," she said clearly.


	35. Never Mess With A Pregnant Witch

Morgana swept through the vast, gleaming halls of the Ministry of Magic like nothing anybody had ever seen before. She sailed from corridor to corridor, room to room until she caught a glimpse of Lucius's long blond hair amongst the hoards of witches and wizards.  
"Lucius!"  
Lucius swung around haughtily at the irate scream of his name.  
He didn't even see the disarming spell coming. The blast hit him squarely in the chest, throwing him twenty feet backwards onto the floor. He landed heavily, on his back, his cane flying from his grasp.  
Morgana stood there, her wand pointing straight down at him in her outstretched hand, her black eyes burning like hot coals.  
Lucius tried to get up but a spark from her wand told him it was a better idea to remain where he was for the time being, so he laid there, eyeing her carefully.  
"You lied to me," she hissed, advancing towards him slowly.  
Lucius shook his head. "No I didn't!" he objected firmly. "What about?" he asked.  
A large crowd had gathered, with Cornelius Fudge at its head. The minister stared in shocked anger at the clearly heavily pregnant young witch who stood over Lucius Malfoy with her wand poised at his throat.  
"Security!" he bellowed, not at all happy at the spectacle that was unrolling in front of hundreds of magical dignitaries from across the globe.  
"No!" Lucius cried, scrambling to his feet as seven burly wizards crowded around Morgana, their wands pointing at her menacingly. Although he hated any scene that put him in a bad light, and this one was no exception, he couldn't allow her to be harmed.  
He hurried towards her, stopping short as she placed her wand against his voicebox.  
"I haven't lied to you, Morgana." Lucius gasped as the mahogany stick pressed deeper against his flesh. Despite appearances and no matter how he felt about her, he was furious right now, but with her wand stuck against his throat, the only thing he could do was try and appease her.  
"Morgana, you're going to get us both arrested if you continue with this..." he began. His soft voice became almost hypnotic as he talked to her, and her resolve started to crumble. Lucius felt the pressure of her wand lessen, and he gradually eased his hand up to take it from her now trembling fingers.  
As soon as he had hold of her wand, he gazed at her levelly, noting there were tears in her eyes. His anger subsided just a little. Seeing her upset tugged at his heart.  
The security detail fell back as Lucius gripped Morgana's arm and pulled her gently but insistantly towards the elevator, bending to retrieve his cane on the way past.  
Nobody knew what he'd said, but the change in the young witch had been staggering. The fuming, fiery woman had become a silent, demure girl, and the crowd slowly seeped away, gossiping and speculating about what was now taking place in the lift.

Lucius didn't trust himself to speak until they'd reached the relative safety of his office and he'd fastened the door securely behind them. Then he gave Morgana a little push, directing her towards the small settee against the far wall. She was breathing heavily now, her hands supporting her lower stomach, and he watched her for a moment.  
"Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice in spite of his anger.  
Morgana peered up at him through her lashes, feeling the Braxton Hicks contractions tightening her womb. Lucius was holding himself together well, but she could feel the fury bubbling within him.  
Morgana sat quietly, reflecting that possibly this had not been her finest moment. She sighed heavily, and said, "Yes, I'm okay."  
Lucius nodded slowly. He was still stood with his back pressed against the door, and he looked down at the highly polished leather of his black shoes.  
"What was that all about?" he questioned, trying to keep his tone neutral since, ultimately, it was indeed he who was in the wrong.  
"You were there. At the riot." Morgana lifted her chin defiantly. "People saw you."  
Lucius was fully aware that by 'people', Morgana meant Liliana, and he sighed, knowing he couldn't keep up this pretence any longer. The guilt had been chewing at his insides since he'd opened the letter from the Inner Circle three days before. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the disgust or the shame in her face, and then he nodded slightly.  
When Lucius opened his eyes, all he could see were the trails of silent tears sliding down Morgana's cheeks, and he hesitated before hurrying across the room to her. He knelt down in front of her, his hands on her knees, gazing at her like a child who had done something they knew was wrong.  
"I didn't want to," he told her. "I stayed out of the way, set a few tents alight..."  
His pale eyes were pleading with her, begging her to understand he was being truthful.  
"That muggle family...The lady...The little boy..?" she whispered sadly.  
"It wasn't me, Morgana, I swear, it wasn't me!"  
She believed him, but she was still horrified that he'd been there at all. Snippets of gossip, images of newspaper clippings, they all flashed through Morgana's mind as she recalled the research she'd done on Lucius Malfoy all that time ago. She berated herself severely. She'd known all along that he was a Death Eater, in her mind, at least. Her heart had obviously chosen to ignore what it didn't want to see, what it hadn't wanted to accept.  
She gazed at him with sad eyes, that stupid heart of hers telling her not to take any notice, that she knew he was sorry...  
"I swore to myself, once it was over, that I would never attend another meeting, and I won't, Morgana, I promise."  
"Lucius - "  
"Morgana, I promise... Please don't go."  
Morgana let out a shaky breath and looked around the room, away from his miserable stare, and then she pressed her forehead against his, her eyes meeting his once again.  
"If you lie to me again, Lucius, I'll go. And I won't come back. Not ever."  
Lucius nodded quickly, somehow knowing that Morgana's words were not empty threats, and his relief far overshadowed the anger he'd previously felt.  
"I love you," he told her, his hand cupping her cheek, his thumb lightly wiping away the last tear.  
"I love you, too," she answered truthfully, and for the first time, she half-wished it wasn't true.


	36. A Visit To Hogsmeade - September 1994

That morning, Lucius had gently shaken Morgana awake just as the birds had started singing outside the window, eagerly encouraging her to get up and into the shower, but refusing to tell her where they were heading.  
The witch was three days past her due date, and her body felt every single bit of it, every muscle and bone hurt, she felt fat and ungainly, and she was almost constantly breathless, but every time she looked down at her growing belly, she realised that the aches and pain were temporary. That her overactive hormones would fade, and that her body would eventually shrink back down to its normal size. With every wriggle and kick and hiccup, Morgana smiled, knowing she would only have these precious moments for a few more days, and somehow that made her a little sad as well as happy.  
Lucius watched as Morgana walked across to the bathroom, realising how amazing she was. Her body contained the oh-so-fragile heartbeat of another, much smaller person ...his second son or his first daughter, and he smiled at her retreating figure, thinking again how very blessed he was to have found her.

 

Lucius had been so enthusiastic to start the day that Morgana had pushed aside the unnerving feeling and the niggling pains that had started almost the second she had stepped into the shower. She been able to hide them easily as they'd eaten a quick breakfast, and wandered along to say good morning to Blaize and Amadeus, feeding each of the horses several pieces of fruit each. And then Lucius had taken her arm, and told her to hold tight, and they'd disappeared from sight, landing with a slightly heavier thump than usual in a very familiar place.  
Hogsmeade.  
Or more precisely, the grassland surrounding Hogsmeade.  
Morgana couldn't hold back a smile as she recognised where Lucius had brought her, and he gave her a lopsided grin and a slightly lascivious wink, and Morgana blushed a little as she remembered the first time they had made love. Right here, in this field, almost exactly where they stood now.  
Lucius chuckled at the flush on her face, and caught her hand in his, leading her slowly across the plains to the lone tree in the centre, a rug already spread out beneath its gnarled boughs. She clasped his arms as she lowered herself carefully onto the blanket, and he watched her as she made herself comfortable.  
His fascination with her hadn't dimmed since that day, as everybody had believed it would; if anything it had grown stronger over time, bringing with it a fierce love and a desire to protect her. Narcissa called it an obssession, Draco believed it was an enchantment, society had termed it infatuation. Whatever it was, Lucius knew it was too beautiful to break, and he cherished her like he'd treasured nothing else before, ever, in his life.  
He grinned again as he sat down beside her, running a gentle hand over her round belly, and smiling as he felt movement in response.  
Morgana sighed softly, gazing across the green and purple moors. "It's so beautiful here."  
"It is," Lucius replied quietly, but when she turned her head to look at him, Lucius's eyes were not on the landscape spread out before them but on her face.  
Morgana reached out and rested her palm against his cheek, and Lucius pressed his face onto the softness of her hand. He knew she was still angry with him, that she hadn't forgiven his betrayal, but he knew she was trying to come to terms with the knowledge that he was a Death Eater, that he had indeed once been one of the Dark Lord's closest allies.  
"Morgana?"  
"Yes?"  
"I...I brought you here because I wanted to ask you - "  
Lucius looked down at the ground, suddenly unsure.  
"Because you wanted to ask me..?" Morgana prompted tenderly.  
"I wanted to ask you if you'll - "  
He was cut off by Morgana's surprised gasp.  
The witch had been concealing her increasing discomfort for several hours, but she couldn't ignore it anymore, the pains were coming too frequently now. She could feel the colour suddenly drain from her face, and she clutched Lucius's arm as she swayed where she sat.  
His eyes jerked up to her face, his nervous expression changing when he noticed her palor.  
"What's wrong, Morgana?"  
She was breathing quick, hard breaths now, and Lucius intuitively knew what her next words were going to be.  
"The baby... I'm in labour..."


	37. A Son Or A Daughter

With a low moan, Morgana pressed one hand against her swollen abdomen, and used the other to brace herself against the tree, trying to shuffle herself upwards.  
Lucius stared at her in horror.  
"Now?" He questioned urgently.  
"Now," she confirmed on a gasp.  
"But - but there's nothing here!" His usually cool demeanor had slipped and was being replaced with panic. "No nurses, no doctors, no hospital!" Morgana glared at him from under her eyebrows as another wave of pain radiated from her womb.  
"Women have been giving birth without hospitals for thousands of years, Lucius. We can do this."  
"We?" Lucius screeched.  
"Yes, we!"  
"Morgana, here isn't the place...We can apparate to Malfoy Manor, and then the doctors can - ". The end of his sentence was cut off by Morgana's scream of agony.  
"There's no time," she panted. "I need you to help me."  
Lucius stared at her until another yell encouraged him into what he hoped was decisive action. He removed his jacket, rolled up his pristine white sleeves, and then Morgana grabbed his hand in a grip that crushed his fingers.  
He helped her with the underwear that suddenly seemed too elaborate for the situation, and then she directed him behind her.  
He did as she asked, without questioning her, and crouched down against the tree, ignoring the rough bark scraping his back, and she leant back against him, her elbows hooked over his knees and her hands clinging to his.  
She was panting hard, clearly in absolute agony but completely ready for what was about to happen. Lucius couldn't help but think back to the day Draco had been born. He had been pacing around the manor for hours before he'd heard the scream that had signalled Narcissa was close to giving birth.  
Morgana wasn't taking hours, though, he could feel her bearing down already as she began to push. Lucius felt the panic rising within him again, and he quickly quashed it, knowing that now wasn't the time for it.  
Morgana's groan ended in another low-pitched scream, and she began panting hard, her lips dry, nausea welling within her.  
"It hurts!" she whimpered.  
"I know, sweetheart, I know," Lucius tried to soothe her.  
"No, you don't know!" she snapped brusquely as another contraction ripped her inside out. "How could you possibly know?"  
Lucius glanced down at his fingers which had long since turned white with the force of her grip, but wisely he said nothing, realising it probably wasn't a good time for a comparison.  
Morgana could feel the baby's head crowning. It was unbelievable agony. She pressed her chin into her chest as she bore down once more, determination etched on her face, and with a pop from her body and a long scream from her, she felt the baby's head force its way out.  
She gasped long and hard, resting her damp head back against Lucius's shoulder in a all-too-brief moment of respite.  
Lucius had no idea what had just happened but Morgana's grip on his hands had lessened a little and he flexed his fingers as quickly as he could. His thighs were burning due to the position he was in, but there was no time to move because Morgana clutched at him again, and he felt her entire body stiffen and strain, all the pressure being pushed downwards. With a final shout, she slumped back against him, her exhausted body losing its rigidity all of a sudden.  
Then she was gasping for air, and struggling to sit up straighter, and suddenly, finally, Lucius realised he was a father again.  
He eased himself out from behind her, his legs so tight he half-crawled, half-staggered around to the front of her, and there, pink and perfect, big black unfocused eyes gazing up at him, was Lucius's second son.  
The wizard used magic to clamp, cut and secure the baby's cord. He had no other way of doing it. And then he wrapped the infant in his discarded jacket and cradled him close, sitting beside Morgana, holding her hand tenderly in his as she finished labouring the placenta.

Once he'd cleaned her up as best as he could, Lucius sat beside Morgana, watching the tiny baby boy nursing contentedly at his mother's breast, and he felt happier than he ever had done before.  
He wrapped his arm around Morgana's shoulders, and she leaned against him, tired now but unable to take her eyes off their son.  
"What are we going to name him?" Lucius wondered aloud.  
Morgana smiled, knowing already.  
"Lucien."  
Lucius grinned down at her.  
"Welcome to the world, Lucien Orion Malfoy."


	38. Bringing Home A Baby

As the afternoon sun began to cast long shadows across the moors, Lucius took Lucien from Morgana's arms, and helped her to her feet. She stood on shaky legs, steadying herself on the tree they had been leaning against for the past few hours, and out of the blue, all she wanted was a hot shower and a soft bed to collapse into once she was clean.  
Lucius saw the sudden fatigue in her face, and slid an arm around her waist, supporting her weight as he said quietly, "Let's go home."  
Morgana was too tired to disapparate effectively, and Lucius commented that maybe his method of apparation was smoother than hers anyway, so she didn't argue with him as he gripped her close to him with one hand and cradled their son against his chest with the other arm, and swept upwards in a whirlwind of blackness.  
They appeared in the reception hall of Malfoy Manor several seconds later, and were greeted immediately by Wicky, who did a double-take when she saw her master's elegant jacket bundled up in his arms, and then she glanced at Morgana, noticing something was different but initially unsure as to what it was. Then the jacket wriggled a little and started to wail, and the house elf realised why the wizard and witch had been away all day.  
Wicky grinned, and loped across the hallway, clambering up onto the walnut table beside the huge double doors and peering into Lucius's arms for a long moment. She apparently liked what she saw because she cooed and smiled brightly again before leaping back to the floor, and taking Morgana's hand in hers.  
"Come on, Miss Morgana, you need a nice wash over and some sleep."  
Morgana allowed the elf to lead her slowly up the marble staircase, with Lucius and Lucien following close behind.  
Wicky scurried into the ensuite shower room and turned on the taps, then hurried back out again, taking the baby from her master without saying a word. Lucius watched in surprise as the elf deftly cleaned, and dressed the infant in a black and green striped romper suit, wrapped him in a blanket and handed him back to his father. The entire process took less than three minutes and during all of it, Lucien didn't utter a sound, his unfocused little eyes attempting to watch the bony creature in front of him.  
Once that task was completed, Wicky gestured to the shower room and Morgana led the way, suddenly incredibly thankful for the elf's assistance.  
With the door closed on him, Lucius settled himself into the leather chair in the far corner of the room, still cradling a now quiet Lucien. Despite having held the boy for a large portion of his six hour life span, Lucius was still a little awestruck by the tiny person he had helped create, and he couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't felt this way the first time he'd seen Draco...Had it been because he had been simply too young, too arrogant to understand the implications of fatherhood? Had it been the fact that his own father had been standing over him, watching his reaction, expecting him to act in a certain way? Maybe it had been because he hadn't been permitted into the bedchamber until both Narcissa and Draco had been cleaned up? Lucius wasn't sure of the reason, but what he did know was that this baby nestling in his arms, this beautiful raven-haired, black-eyed baby boy had captured his heart in a way that had been previously unknown to him. Was it because Lucien was Morgana's son, because she had carried him and nurtured him for all these months?

A cloud of steam followed Morgana and Wicky as they emerged from the ensuite a few minutes later, and the elf reached up to take Lucien once again, shooing her master into the bathroom with a look that plainly said 'don't argue with me'. Lucius briefly wondered how his life had changed so dramatically that he was being ordered about by his own house elf, but his body ached too much to contest it, and he obeyed without questioning her.  
Morgana was sat in bed, leaning against the pillows by the time Lucius flapped his way through the steam back into the bedroom. He used his wand to clear the air, and then sank thankfully into the depths of the mattress, turning onto his side to watch his new son nursing once again.  
Wicky sat in the corner of the room until Lucien had finished feeding and fallen asleep, and then she eased him gently from Morgana's arms, singing to him quietly as she placed him tenderly in the mahogany crib at the foot of the four-poster bed, and then she curled up on a pillow beside the cradle, pulled a thin blanket over her body and fell asleep, already an unofficial nursemaid to the tiny wizard.  
Morgana lay against Lucius, her head resting on his shoulder, and he turned his head to kiss her lovingly on the forehead, his eyes already closed.  
"What were you going to ask me?" The witch murmured sleepily.  
"Hmm?"  
"You were going to ask me something, earlier, in Hogsmeade."  
Lucius grinned lazily, and opened his eyes once more. "I was going to ask you if you'd marry me."  
Morgana smiled, half-asleep as she softly replied, "Yes."


End file.
